Threads Launches Live Chats for Event Discussions

Threads, the Meta-owned social media platform, has launched a new feature called Live Chats to enable real-time conversations among users during cultural events such as sports games and album releases. The rollout begins within the NBAThreads Community amid the NBA playoffs, allowing fans and creators to discuss ongoing matches and other timely topics.

The feature builds on Threads' group chat capabilities by adding interactive elements tailored for live engagement. Users can participate in public discussions that include real-time polls, countdown timers, typing indicators, and, for sports events, integrated live scores to keep conversations aligned with the action. Up to 150 participants can actively send messages, share photos, videos, links, and emoji reactions. Once the limit is reached, additional users can join as spectators, viewing the chat, reacting to messages, and voting in polls without sending new content. Chats remain publicly discoverable even after they end, though they conclude at a set time.

To join, users navigate to the top of the relevant community feed, follow links shared in posts on their main Threads feed, or tap a red live ring around a host's profile...