# Disable chat threads in DM's
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** chat, completed
**Created:** [November 1, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040 "2024-11-01T16:02:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MarcP](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarcP)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/1 "2024-11-01T16:02:58Z")
When I reply to a particular message, Discourse automatically makes this a thread. We can disable this per channel/chat basis..
How can we stop this behaviour from happening in DM’s by default (or completely)? This is very aggressive and actually making simple DM’s very complex to follow.
> [@Chat threads for DMs](https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-threads-for-dms/324863/17):
>
> This has been added with this change: [https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/29170](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/29170)
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/4 "2024-11-06T15:21:55Z")
Hey @MarcP, thanks for starting this topic . We do not currently have a way to automatically disable threads in new DM or group chat channels.
I’ve moved it to #Contribute > Feature so that we can better gauge interest in this functionality.
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### Author:  [@MarcP](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarcP)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/5 "2024-11-24T23:06:38Z")
[Chat threads for DMs](https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-threads-for-dms/324863) was completed with only 2 votes. I like to think we deserve a OFF setting for threads by default at a minimum..
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2024, 12:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/6 "2024-11-25T00:33:51Z")
I am confused though:
This is configurable per DM and default off?
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### Author:  [@MarcP](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarcP)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2024, 2:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/7 "2024-11-25T02:29:12Z")
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> We do not currently have a way to automatically disable threads in new DM or group chat channels
This, and my experience can not confirm that.
Which aligns with what was said in the request topic to enable threads in DMs.
> [@Chat threads for DMs](https://meta.discourse.org/t/chat-threads-for-dms/324863/15):
>
> Our current plan is to enable threads in DMs / group chats by default.
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/8 "2024-11-25T03:00:00Z")
Yeah @lindsey I feel like our default is flipped here.
When you create a channel we default to “no threading”
When you create a DM now we default to “yes threading”. (all old DMs you have have “no threading” for extra confusion)
At a minimum I wonder if we can default to no threading, should be tiny change. Then people who need threading in a DM can click the button to enable it?
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### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2024, 7:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/9 "2024-11-25T07:20:43Z")
Don’t mind the language. I trust you understand what is going on.
This is a private chat with an AI persona, and threading is disabled.
And another issue is this:
Yes, the sidebar tells I have unread thread, but it doesn’t show it.
But this an issue with AI. Chatting with real persons doesn’t create threads. I asked that some times ago and then I was told that thing now just are this way with AI. And sorry, but I really dislike that way and that’s why no one uses chat anymore with AI in my forum.
I know, I know. This is a bug or an UI issue — but I trust moderators know what to do 😏
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### Author:  [@nathank](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nathank)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2025, 8:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/10 "2025-08-19T08:37:24Z")
I’ve just encountered this again today - and I really want to disable threading for DMs by default. But can’t!!!
The vast majority of our DMs (including group chats) are well served by a single thread. Occasionally threading would be helpful, in which case we can turn it on for that chat conversation.
> [@sam](#):
>
> Yeah @lindsey I feel like our default is flipped here.
>
> When you create a channel we default to “no threading”
>
> When you create a DM now we default to “yes threading”. (all old DMs you have have “no threading” for extra confusion)
>
> At a minimum I wonder if we can default to no threading, should be tiny change. Then people who need threading in a DM can click the button to enable it?
The present default seems bananas. I agree with Sam!
Has this fallen off the radar? I note that there are 7 votes on this Topic (which is quite a few in this category).
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### Author:  [@donaldsoncd](https://meta.discourse.org/u/donaldsoncd)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 10:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/11 "2025-08-20T10:37:21Z")
I just ran into this same issue because I couldn’t figure out why I had a “My Threads” thing visible in my side navbar:
I thought it was a bug (after having read [this topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-we-hide-my-threads/288620/10) which said that it shouldn’t be showing up unless I have threads enabled), but then I dug into my DMs and found that my most recent DM had threading enabled. I’m guessing that this was on by default because I wouldn’t have chosen to have it on.
(It’s kind of a separate thing, but if threads are turned on and it shows up in the navbar, it might make sense for it to appear below "DMs” instead of so high up.)
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### Author:  [@fokx](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fokx)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/12 "2025-08-20T14:38:26Z")
+1 on this feature.
In slow network environment, navigating between main DM and different threads can be a pain. Also I think chat should offer an option to disable thread for all users globally.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan5](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jonathan5)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/15 "2025-09-13T15:33:05Z")
I’d like to have threads off by default too. See [Is it possible to get rid of the "My Threads" link/button?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-possible-to-get-rid-of-the-my-threads-link-button/382483). If chat isn’t getting used a lot it’s just an extra complication and it’s unclear (in that same scenario) what the My Threads icon/button is for.
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/20 "2025-09-16T19:39:55Z")
Thanks for the feedback here, folks — we’re going to switch the default here so that DMs have threading _off_ by default so it better matches the channel defaults. We’ll share an update here once that change is complete.
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### Author:  [@davidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/davidb)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/21 "2025-09-17T14:00:28Z")
This should be solved with this change:
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/532d656d17649a76471dabb7709dac494fef5dc8](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/532d656d17649a76471dabb7709dac494fef5dc8)
It’s worth noting that this will take effect for all new DM chats initiated. Existing chats are not changed but threads can still be turned off manually within each channel’s settings.
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### Author:  [@davidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/davidb)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/disable-chat-threads-in-dms/334040/22 "2025-09-21T11:42:48Z")
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