Private online chats, for short

DMS

Think of the three-letter shorthand you might see on social media when someone wants to take a conversation out of the public comments.

"Private online chats, for short" refers to direct messages, which are one-on-one conversations on social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. The clue uses "for short" to signal that the answer is an abbreviation, so "direct messages" becomes "DMS." It’s a common term in online communication, especially when people want to talk privately instead of publicly.