Twitter Inc. has seemingly not completely forgotten its core microblogging come messaging service as it tries to reinvent itself as a live online sports broadcaster. On Thursday, the company announced upgrades to its direct messaging.

Top of the list is the addition of read receipts, a feature found commonly on other messaging platforms. As the name suggests, it allows users to know when a message they have sent has been read by using a check mark next to a message. For those who are not fond of the feature, Twitter is offering the ability to turn it off, but it will be turned on by default.

Also borrowing the idea from other messaging services comes typing indicator bubbles, which indicate when a person is typing a response to a direct message. The feature also applies in a group direct message, with an icon popping up to demonstrate who is typing at the given time.

Last but not least is web link previews, where a link shared in a direct message gets a preview of what the content is within the conversation, as is currently the case with the regular Twitter timeline itself.

Trigger warning

Interestingly, VentureBeat has described the addition of read receipts as potentially “polarizing” despite the fact that it’s featured on any number of messaging apps. That’s ostensibly due to the Twitter’s perceived problem with spam or trolls. But how read receipts in direct messages between friends has anything to do with trolls is not clear.

The potential triggering that read receipts may cause aside, the new additions to Twitter’s direct-messaging service, while long overdue, are nonetheless welcome anyway.

It’s not clear when the new features will be rolled out (they’re not working for us on Android at the time of writing). But allegedly it is coming to the iOS and Android app first before it makes its way on main site Twitter.com and Tweetdeck as well.

Image credit: Twitter