Twitter announced today that it’s rolling out video support within direct messages. The new feature will be available on iOS and Android, but not to everyone right away. The move comes just hours after the company launched native GIF support on its platform.

Previously, photos were the only media that could be shared in direct messages, but now the private messaging feature becomes on par with what you can do in public. While it’s become easier for people to post and share videos directly from the app, the website won’t allow you to create content easily.

As Twitter focuses more on live events and activities, the inclusion of video into direct messages is a welcome and not surprising move. With the extended capabilities, the move likely positions Twitter into more direct competition with iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and others. Will we eventually see Periscope links embedded natively in direct messages like they are in the timeline?

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