YouTube has expanded its in-app Chat feature to different countries after successfully testing it in November 2025. The feature allows eligible users to send and receive direct messages about videos without leaving the platform, letting them share content and react in real-time together.
Users access YouTube Chat by clicking a new messaging icon within the app and sending an invite to friends they want to connect with. Once friends accept the invite, they unlock the ability to share videos, discuss content, and react to each other’s messages directly in the YouTube app. The messaging thread appears in-stream as users watch, creating a continuous conversation alongside video playback.
YouTube positioned the expansion as a response to community demand. The company stated that users want to share videos with friends and family in one unified location rather than copying links and sharing them across multiple messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, or Telegram. By embedding messaging directly into YouTube, the platform removes the friction of switching between apps.
The rollout reflects YouTube’s broader strategy to capture more of users’ social interaction time. As private messaging increasingly dominates online conversation, platforms are racing to keep discussion in-app rather than allowing users to migrate conversations to competitors. YouTube’s move directly counters the shift toward private DMs that has affected engagement on public feeds across Meta, Twitter, and TikTok.
YouTube noted that initial testing with Ireland and Poland users generated positive feedback, which informed the decision to expand globally. The company indicated that it received encouraging responses about the feature’s utility for coordinating video watches and discussing content in real-time.
The feature launches as YouTube also implements other engagement-focused updates, including conversational custom feed generation and improved timestamp controls for creators. This feature is currently available to users in US, Ireland and Poland.
