Discord is adding Slack-style conversation threads

Big Discord servers can be something of a nightmare to keep track of. Fortunately, the chat client has begun testing Threads, temporary sub-channels that'll let you pop open a sidebar to continue a conversation in peace.

Exclusively revealed by our sister site TechRadar, Discord has introduced Threads in a very limited capacity. Testing is currently restricted to bot developers (to ensure the feature doesn't break compatibility) in servers with less than 5 users and 1 bot.

TechRadar did get access to one such testing server, however. And in practice, Discord's threads function almost identically to a similar feature in Slack. Hit a button underneath any message, and it'll effectively open a brand new channel in a sidebar.

After a set amount of time the thread will be automatically archived, though admins can revive them at any time. Threads can also be pinned like any other message, making them immediately available at all times.

Discord previously attempted to solve its channel clutter with replies, which made it clearer when a message was responding directly to an earlier post. But with some larger channels moving at outrageous speed, the idea of stepping into a thread to take a breather on a topic sounds more than welcome.