In a bid to offer users an alternative social media experience, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has launched Threads, a text-based conversation app that has the potential to rival Twitter.
This move comes hot on the heels of Elon Musk’s recent announcement of limits on the number of tweets one can read on Twitter per day, leading some users to explore new options such as Mastodon or Bluesky.
Threads allows users to post text, videos, and photos, engaging in real-time conversations.
Threads: The Essence
Developed by Meta’s Instagram team, Threads acts as a platform where users can share short posts or updates, limited to 500 characters.
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It supports the inclusion of links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long.
The app is seamlessly linked to users’ Instagram accounts, allowing for easy sharing of Threads posts to Instagram stories or other platforms via links.
Feed Composition and Filtering
Threads curates a personalized feed that includes posts from accounts users follow on both Instagram and Threads.
Additionally, the platform provides recommendations for undiscovered content.
Users have the ability to filter specific words from their feeds and restrict who can mention them.
Availability and Accessibility
Threads is a free app available for download on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
To join Threads, users must have an existing Instagram account as the platform requires login credentials from Instagram.
Once logged in, users’ Instagram usernames are ported over, while the creation of a customizable profile is possible.
However, users in the UK who are under 18 will receive a default private profile.
Following the same accounts from Instagram is made seamless, negating the need to start from scratch.
Features and Integration
Threads offers users a range of features, including the ability to unfollow, report, block, or restrict profiles.
These options can be accessed via a convenient three-dot drop-down menu.
Notably, blocking a profile on Instagram will automatically block it on Threads as well.
The app also provides screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.
Further, Meta aims to make Threads compatible and integrative with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol, envisioning seamless connectivity with platforms like WordPress and Mastodon.
In the future, Meta hopes that Threads posts will be accessible to users of compatible apps, regardless of whether they have a Threads account.
Threads vs. Twitter
The competition between tech giants is expanding beyond the highly anticipated cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Threads, with its built-in connection to Instagram, stands to gain users rapidly.
Meanwhile, Twitter’s recent move to limit the number of posts users can read per day could result in the loss of subscribers and advertisers.
However, Threads does face some skepticism, with Forrester analyst Mike Proulx suggesting that Meta is taking advantage of the current wave of dissatisfaction with Twitter.
Proulx points out Meta’s previous unsuccessful attempts with standalone apps, such as Slingshot and IGTV.
Also the crowded landscape of Twitter alternatives, including Bluesky, Mastodon, and Hive, could fragment the user base seeking alternatives.
Launch Considerations
The launch of Threads in the European Union has reportedly been delayed due to data-sharing concerns between the two apps.
