The parent company of Instagram, Meta, recently introduced Threads, a text-based conversation app aimed at competing with Twitter.
As users seek alternatives to Twitter’s evolving restrictions, Threads offers a platform where users can engage in real-time conversations while integrating seamlessly with their existing Instagram accounts.
Here are five key things to know about Meta’s new app, Threads.
- Seamless integration with Instagram: Threads is developed by Meta’s Instagram team, allowing users to sign in using their Instagram credentials.
By doing so, users can maintain their usernames, followers, and verification status on their Instagram accounts. This integration ensures a smooth transition and familiarity for Instagram users who are seeking a Twitter-like experience.
- Publish short posts and rich media: Threads enables users to publish short posts or updates of up to 500 characters, similar to the tweet format on Twitter.
Additionally, users can include links, photos, or videos with a maximum duration of 5 minutes. This flexibility allows for more expressive and engaging content sharing within the Threads community.
- Personalised feed and privacy controls: Users’ feeds on Threads consist of posts from people and accounts they follow on both Instagram and Threads. The app also provides recommendations for undiscovered content, expanding users’ reach beyond their existing networks.
Moreover, Threads empowers users with privacy controls, allowing them to filter specific words from their feed and restrict who can mention them. This feature ensures a more personalised and tailored experience.
- Compatibility and integration: Meta is actively working to make Threads compatible and integrative with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol. This would allow Threads posts to be accessible on platforms such as WordPress and Mastodon, even for users without Threads accounts.
This strategy aims to expand Threads’ reach and foster a more interconnected social media experience.
- Competition and challenges: Threads entered the market at a time when Twitter is facing competition from various alternatives, including Mastodon and Bluesky. While Meta’s Instagram integration provides a unique advantage, industry analysts have raised concerns about Meta’s track record with standalone apps outside its core family.
Previous launches like Slingshot and IGTV have not achieved significant success. Furthermore, the delayed launch of Threads in the European Union due to data-sharing concerns highlights the challenges Meta faces as it expands.
