Twitter now lets you receive direct messages from anyone

Direct messages on Twitter are changing. Now, you can receive direct messages from anyone, even if you’re not following them.

Thankfully, you have to opt into this feature. By default, you can only receive direct messages from people you follow. To let anyone send you a message directly, go to your Settings and Privacy menu to activate the feature. If you’re concerned about privacy, or you don’t want to leave yourself open to messages from random accounts, you should leave this box alone.Twitter announced the changes in a blog post on its website. It said that the changes include:

• A setting that allows you to receive Direct Messages from anyone, even if you don’t follow them. To change your settings follow these instructions.
• Updated messaging rules so you can reply to anyone who sends you a Direct Message, regardless of whether or not that person follows you.
• A new Direct Message button on profile pages on Android and iPhone. You’ll see it on the profiles of people you can send Direct Messages to.