Twitter DMs update test hides messages 3 layers deep

By Chris Burns/Aug. 16, 2019 11:07 am EST

Twitter began testing a new way to hide unwanted messages in their social network DM requests today. The new way in which messages are arranged starts as it's always started – in the direct messages menu. From there, standard messages appear in a list, just below "Message requests". From there, things go even deeper.

Inside Message Requests, users will find another new button "Show" below a message that reads as follows. "Show additional messages, including those that may contain offensive content." This Show button can be tapped to dive deeper into the DM folder scheme to see the messages Twitter's automatically deemed potentially offensive.

At this time it's not clear how Twitter decides which messages are potentially offensive to each user. It's likely that Twitter's created an automatic algorithm that scans messages for certain words and phrases that it knows can be offensive, malicious, or just downright mean. It's also likely that this deepest folder contains messages with known scam or bait-centric phrases or words.

Unwanted messages aren't fun. So we're testing a filter in your DM requests to keep those out of sight, out of mind. pic.twitter.com/Sg5idjdeVv

— Support (@Support) August 15, 2019

Per Twitter's announcement on the subject, "Unwanted messages aren't fun. So we're testing a filter in your DM requests to keep those out of sight, out of mind." This is very similar to a folder scheme that's been in-place on Facebook for Facebook Messenger for several years.

This system is active on several accounts we've seen tested thus far, and will likely appear on your smartphone in the iOS and/or Android app for Twitter (the official app, that is) quite soon.

The most recent update to Twitter's DM setup came back on July 31, 2019. It was then that the DM system on desktop computers in web browsers of several sorts. This system included a new split-screen inbox system that allowed users to compose messages on one side and view the rest of the inbox on the other.