YouTube direct messages are finally available in the US

Last year, YouTube started rolling out an experiment allowing users in certain countries to send DMs within the app. A few months ago, it was expanded to include 31 countries, but the US was still missing from the list. That changes now, as YouTube expands the test to even more countries.

YouTube today announced in a blog post that it’s bringing its in-app messaging and video sharing feature to nine more countries, including the US. The new list also includes countries like Brazil, the UK, and Singapore. The full list now has 40 countries in total, and you can view it on Google’s support page.

So, if you’re 18 or older, signed into a YouTube channel, and reside in one of the supported countries, you will be able to share YouTube videos within the app.

You can share content you’re watching by using the “Share” option on videos and Shorts. You can also use the “Messages” icon in the top right to invite others to YouTube messages via an invitation link.

DMs in YouTube already support a couple of useful features you might expect from a messaging setup: you can unsend messages by long-pressing on them, and you can delete entire conversations as well. The company hasn’t mentioned a time limit for unsending messages. For privacy and safety, it also supports blocking channels and contacts, and reporting conversations.

With this, the company is trying to keep your video-sharing habits within the app, so you and your friends spend more time on YouTube.