The new capabilities, which were announced in a blog post, also allow users to respond to messages from those they don't follow.
"Communicating with people you may or may not know in real life just got easier.
Previously, if you wanted to send a Direct Message to the ice cream shop down the street about how much you love their salted caramel flavor, you’d have to ask them to follow you first,” read the post.
“With today’s changes, the ice cream shop can opt to receive Direct Messages from anyone; so you can privately send your appreciation for the salted caramel without any barriers.”
Those who do not wish to recieve contact from those they don't follow can to disable the option in their security and privacy settings.
In addition, a ‘direct message’ button will also be visible to users who access the app on a mobile or android device.
The changes are effective immediately.