Twitter is testing a filter that blocks spam and abusive messages in DMs

Twitter is doing something they should have done ages ago. The company announced today that they’re testing a DM feature that sends unwanted spam and abusive messages to a separate “additional messages” tab. Sort of like how Facebook Messenger does it with its message requests.

With that said, the Additional Messages inbox has a new look. This is where you get messages from people who you don’t follow. Moving forward, messages with abusive language or sensitive content will have their previews hidden. You have the option to delete them without opening them too. The feature will be available on Twitter’s Android, iOS, and web apps starting today. 

Here’s a better look at the feature:

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

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) August 15, 2019

This new DM filter is useful for folks who prefer to keep their DMs open (anyone on Twitter can DM, regardless if they follow or not) and obviously don’t want to see abusive content or spam in their DMs.

Why Twitter is introducing this so late into the company’s existence is beyond me, but hey, here we are. You would think, a feature simple as this wouldn’t have been rolled out sooner, but I guess now is better than never. 

Have any thoughts on this? Why did Twitter take so long to roll this out? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.