Meta launched Threads, a new social media app that is Twitter’s newest competitor. Instagram users can import their profiles onto Threads, which is why it has seen a record number of sign-ups.
✨ Threads is here – a new app where you can share updates and join convos ✨
Use your Instagram account to log in and get started 🎉 https://t.co/eEyTigO7WB pic.twitter.com/mCNsx33ZVg
— Instagram (@instagram) July 5, 2023
Threads launched on Wednesday and already counts over 30 million subscribers, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The app launched on iOS and Android in over 100 countries, excluding the European Union.
The app was launched a day ahead of schedule and is available to over 2 billion active Instagram users, according to NBC News.
“Our vision is to take the best parts of Instagram and create a new experience for text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind,” Zuckerberg said. “I think the world needs this kind of friendly community, and I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one.”
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Threads is a text-based app in which the focus is placed on public conversations and already existing creator communities from Instagram. It appears as a scrollable feed where users can share posts with a 500 characters limit. Photos and videos can also be shared. Users have the option of liking, commenting, reposting and quoting posts. They can also share posts to their Instagram story or feed.
Some Instagram features carry on to Threads. For instance, blocked users remain blocked on Threads, verified profiles stay verified, and the same bios and usernames can be transferred. Threads users also have the option to follow the accounts they already follow on Instagram.
Users under 16 (or under 18 in some countries) will have their accounts defaulted into a private profile when they join. Instagram’s community guidelines are enforced on Threads, and users can report content. They can also choose to hide specific words and phrases, similarly to Twitter.
Zuckerberg addressed the similarities of Threads with Twitter by tweeting for the first time in 11 years. Meta’s CEO posted a Spiderman meme, seemingly taking into account that Threads now stands as a direct rival to Twitter.
— Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) July 6, 2023
The launch comes as Elon Musk recently announced that Twitter users can now only read a limited number of tweets. Several changes have been made to the platform since Musk bought the company, including verifications being available for purchase.
Threads isn’t the first social media app to rival Twitter, but it may be the most effective. Platforms such as Spill and Bluesky have launched their own online communities.
