Slack launches ‘threaded messaging’ to avoid crowded chat rooms

The workplace communication tool, Slack has introduced one of the most requested updates- threaded messaging on its platform that allows users to directly reply to a single conversation, avoiding confusion with other off-topic comments and requests.

The latest feature has been already rolled out to 10 percent of the users, and the broader rollout will take place within next few days.

You will find the threads in flexpane, a panel with additional tools and resources for your existing rooms and direct messages. To start a threaded conversation, hover over a Slack message until the context menu appears. Select 'start a thread' and a thread will appear in a new pane to the right of the main chat.

You can also add others by mentioning their usernames, and follow threads you're interested in manually in the thread's ellipses menu.

Every time you add your own response, you automatically “follow” that thread, and you’ll get updates for all the threads you follow in a new category called “All Threads,” which appears on the right-hand sidebar of Slack.

Moreover, any message inside a thread can be "sent back" to the public channel at the press of a button.
“We’re giving people the choice to have sidebars, where they don’t feel like the only option is to take things into a private channel or direct message,” said Slack VP of product April Underwood. “Threads is an example of where we’ve been hearing this demand for customers, and felt the need to have sidebar conversations. But it was non-trivial and non-obvious on how to get it there. It’s one of our values as a company — not just build products, but everything we do we value our craft,” she added.

Noticeably, this is the fourth iteration of threads by Slack.

With the latest iteration to threads, the Silicon Valley startup is standing against competitors like Microsoft and Facebook. The Redmond-based company launched Microsoft Teams last fall. On the other hand, Facebook also launched Workplace by Facebook last year.