YouTube is expanding its in-app video sharing and messaging feature to users in the U.S. and other global regions, the Google-owned platform announced in a blog post. The rollout marks the return of private messaging to YouTube, seven years after the platform first introduced the capability in 2017.

The feature is available to users 18 and older. To access it, users tap a messaging icon within the YouTube app, which generates an invitation link they send to contacts through a third-party messaging platform. Recipients must accept the invite before a conversation can begin. The setup limits messaging to existing contacts rather than enabling outreach between unknown users.

“Our community loves to share videos with their friends and family, and we want them to be able to do it in one place,” YouTube said in its announcement. “Whether it’s a new music video, a helpful tutorial, or a funny Short, this update will give users a new way to share right where they’re watching.”

A Feature With a Complicated History

YouTube discontinued its original private messaging feature in 2019, redirecting focus toward public-facing formats, including a Stories product modeled after Instagram. YouTube shut down Stories in June 2023.

According to TheVerge, the platform began testing the current iteration of in-app messaging in November 2025, describing it at the time as a “top feature request” from its user base. YouTube cited a positive response in markets where the feature was already live as a factor in the broader rollout.

What It Means for the Platform

YouTube states that its Community Guidelines apply to all content and messages shared through the feature. The platform did not specify a timeline for further expansion but said it “looks forward to expanding even further soon.”

Age verification is required before accessing messaging. The invitation-based structure means users cannot receive unsolicited messages from strangers through the feature.

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