Meta’s new Twitter clone, Threads, is experiencing a remarkable surge in signups on its first day.
Within a span of seven hours since its launch, Threads has surpassed the impressive milestone of 10 million signups.
This comes after Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously announced that 5 million users had signed up within the first four hours of Threads’ official release.
The Twitter clone, deeply integrated with Instagram, has captured the attention of users seeking an alternative social media platform.
Mark Zuckerberg, shared the milestone on his Threads account, highlighting the app’s rapid growth.
Threads, available for “pre-order” on iOS, generated significant buzz through a flashy Instagram cross-promotion.
The app’s connection to Instagram is evident as Instagram accounts now display a Threads user number, allowing for transparent and real-time sign-up tracking.
With Twitter facing challenges and rate limits, users are eagerly seeking a replacement, creating a massive demand for a new platform.
While other apps like Mastodon and Bluesky have garnered attention, they come with their own compromises.
Mastodon’s complex sign-up process and uncertainty surrounding the fediverse deter some users, while Bluesky faces concerns over potential moderation mistakes.
Meta’s Threads emerges as a potential contender amid Twitter’s struggles, enticing users with its fresh approach.
Zuckerberg, recognizing the opportunity, tweeted for the first time in over a decade to celebrate the launch of Threads.
This move is expected to generate significant engagement as users explore alternatives and seek a platform that consolidates their online presence.
While attracting users is an important milestone, retaining them is equally crucial.
Meta’s decision to forgo a chronological feed in Threads, opting instead for an algorithmic mix, aims to captivate users and keep them engaged.
However, some users are disappointed that Threads lacks Twitter’s defining feature: a pure, unfiltered timeline. The existence of such caveats among Twitter knockoffs is becoming increasingly common.
Nonetheless, it is still early days for Threads, and the team has promised to integrate fediverse-friendly features, challenging Meta’s traditional walled-garden approach.
The extent to which Threads will offer users freedom to curate their content remains to be seen.