Following Elon Musk’s, shall we say, colourful arrival at Twitter, the Twitterati have been talking about alternatives to the popular ‘bird app’ and yet nothing has seemed to take off. On July 5th, however, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp, unveiled Threads, a new app aimed at facilitating text-based conversations and potentially posing as a competitor to Twitter.
Well-known for taking existing ideas and making them work – Instagram Reels, for example, is a thinly veiled copy of TikTok – Meta has made it supremely easy for existing account users to log in to the new app using their Instagram credentials, retaining their usernames, followers and verification status.
While reports suggest that the development of this platform began in January, the launch of Threads coincides with Elon Musk’s recent announcement of limitations on the number of tweets one can read per day on Twitter.
With the ongoing changes at Twitter, many social media users have sought alternatives, such as Mastodon or Bluesky, but so far none of the existing options have gained traction. Similar to Twitter, Threads offers users the opportunity to share text, videos and photos and engage in real-time conversations.
What is Threads by Meta?
Threads, developed by Meta’s Instagram team, is a platform that enables users to share brief posts or updates containing up to 500 characters. It also offers the opportunity to include links, photos, or videos with a maximum duration of 5 minutes. The beauty of Threads is that it is seamlessly connected to a user’s Instagram account, allowing them to effortlessly share Threads posts to their Instagram story or share as links on other platforms of their choice. With 2.35 billion monthly users, Instagram already has a mind-bogglingly large captive audience from which to gather Threads users.
Users’ Threads feeds consist of posts from individuals and accounts they follow on both Instagram and Threads. Additionally, the platform provides recommendations for discovering new and interesting content. To curate a unique experience, there is the option to filter specific words from appearing in the feed and also control over who can mention users.
Threads is free to use and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
How to use Threads
In order to join the app, users must already have an Instagram account as Threads utilises Instagram login details for sign-in purposes. On setting up a Threads account, the user’s Instagram username is seamlessly transferred. However, there is the option to create a personalised profile according to preferences. It is important to note that users in the UK who are under 18 years old will automatically receive a default private profile, as highlighted by Meta.
Migrating an existing Instagram following to Threads is a breeze, with users effortlessly following the same accounts with just a few clicks, eliminating the need to start from scratch. Post creation, referred to as a “Thread,” offers the option to select the audience who can view it, whether it’s the entire world or only followers.
In terms of features, both Twitter and Instagram users will be pleased to discover familiar functionalities on Threads. Unfollowing, reporting, blocking, or restricting a profile is simple and achieved by accessing the three dots drop-down menu. Notably, anyone who is blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads. The platform also offers support for screen readers and includes AI-generated image descriptions for enhanced accessibility.
Meta has expressed its commitment to making Threads compatible and smoothly integrated with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol, including platforms like WordPress and Mastodon. The company envisions a future whereby Threads posts can be accessed by anyone using a compatible app, irrespective of whether they possess a Threads account or not.
Threads Vs Twitter
The rivalry between the two tech giants has expanded beyond the anticipated showdown between Musk and Mark Zuckerberg following Musk’s cage fight challenge to ‘Zuck’. There are already rumours that Twitter may be taking legal action against the social media behemoth.
Threads, with its seamless integration with Instagram, possesses the potential to rapidly attract users in a short span of time.While Musk’s decision to limit Twitter posts to 10,000 per day for verified users, 1,000 per day for unverified users, and 500 for new unverified users may lead to a decrease in subscribers and advertisers, who pay for the maximum amount of views of their advert and will not wish to see their audience limited.
Threads has not escaped criticism. Forrester analyst Mike Proulx argues that Meta is capitalising on the current wave of discontent with Twitter but although it has had huge success, it has also previously experienced unsuccessful launches and subsequent closures of apps like Slingshot and IGTV.
So when can we try it out?
Threads is currently unavailable in the EU due to data protection law concerns. Meta, meanwhile, is diligently ensuring that the platform adheres to all legal rules and obligations before its European debut. Following the launch yesterday, it has already amassed over 30 million users, with social media phenomenon MrBeast gaining the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest individual user to reach one million followers, surpassing even Mark Zuckerberg himself.
We are excited to see how the platform will be integrated into the digital marketing world and will keep you updated as the app develops.
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