Twitter is in the process of developing a standalone messaging app that would put it in direct competition with WhatsApp and Facebook.
The micro-blogging website is mulling over a separate app for Twitter users to direct message each other, sources have told AllThingsD.
The move would come as the website looks to quietly revamp its service. The company has been internally testing out settings that would allow users to send and receive messages without having to first follow each other. The report said that Twitter has begun to roll out the feature to a select few users.
Twitter is said to have considered the idea for months but it remains unclear what form any change to direct messages would take. Twitter has largely ignored Direct Messaging over the last couple of years and the last major redesign of the site saw the feature being buried under other options.
The move comes as the popularity of personal messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Line and SnapChat grows is forcing Twitter to look again as its messaging capabilities. The firm is also said to be looking at another redesign of its homepage in order to grow the number of active users of its service.
According to sources, Twitter met up with people from another popular messaging app MessageMe, although to what ends remains unclear.
Last week, Twitter launched its Event Parrot account that sends followers notifications on breaking news events.
Twitter has not commented on the messaging service.
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