Meta is rolling out a direct messaging feature just for Threads that, importantly, won’t connect to Instagram’s inbox. Until now, Threads users have had to rely on public replies or switch to Instagram to send private messages, which only makes sense if they follow the same people on both platforms.

The big takeaway here is that while Meta could easily combine private messaging on both platforms, DMs on Threads will live in their own inbox separate from Instagram’s. This separation might encourage people to treat Threads more like its own platform, rather than just an offshoot of Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday that the test starts this week in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Argentina, with additional countries expected soon.