DM extension: Twitter revolutionises private messaging feature with word count change

Twitter has removed the 140-character limit on the site's Direct Message feature - making it the first aspect of the social media platform free of any word limit.

The tech giant said the aim is to allow users to "express themselves" more freely as the feature is rolled out globally.

Direct Messages - also know as "DMs" - is the private messaging aspect of the Twitter platform where users can communicate directly with one another away from the public area of the site.

The micro-blogging site's co-founder and interim chief executive Jack Dorsey recently admitted the service was not doing well enough when it came to making the site better for users and attracting new interest.

Twitter currently has about 300 million global users while rival social network Facebook has more than 1.4 billion.

Twitter also confirmed that public tweets would continue to operate by the 140-character limit rule.

Sachin Agarwal, product manager for Direct Messages at the firm, said: "I think that you will definitely see folks being more expressive in general.

"I think in the past you might have felt constricted by 140 characters and so you had to cut out a word here or there, but now you end up with these longer messages where people are really able to get their point across and do it in a more funny way.

"They can add more emojis, more photos, things like that - which just let them be a little more richer in their expression."

Mr Agarwal said the aim was to make Twitter feel more like a "casual chatting platform" as it looked to increase its appeal.