Overview
- YouTube began expanding the rebuilt messaging feature in June 2026 to eligible adults in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, Singapore and select U.S. territories as part of a staged rollout.
- The feature adds a Messages icon in the app and only lets users start 1:1 conversations after sending an invitation link through a third‑party app, with invites expiring after seven days.
- Access requires signing in to a personal YouTube channel with a verified age of 18 or older and the feature is currently unavailable to Brand Accounts.
- YouTube applies its Community Guidelines to private chats, says it may scan messages for policy violations, and offers unsend, block and report options while promising not to use message content for ad targeting.
- The revived system was tested in Ireland and Poland starting November 2025 and rolled across about 31 European countries in March 2026, and YouTube has not given a full timeline for wider availability or said how in‑app shares will affect creator analytics.