Instagram, owned by the tech giant Meta, on July 5, unveiled its new app called ‘Threads’, a new app designed to directly compete with Elon Musk’s Twitter.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a US-based media house, Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch, framing Threads as “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.” Threads will be linked to users’ Instagram profiles, making it simple to connect with followers, prominent personalities, or brands. The length of the text posts will be limited to 500 characters. (In comparison, Twitter has a character restriction of 280, which increases to 10,000 for Twitter Blue subscribers.)
Instagram claims that accounts will be private by default, with a main feed made up of accounts you follow and suggested content from authors you may not have discovered yet. Threads can be shared on Instagram stories or via a link, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Threads will be available in over 100 countries, with apps for iOS and Android, and new features like an improved recommendation engine and search functionality will be added over time.
“Our vision is that people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa, ushering in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Threads is Meta’s first app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol – we hope that by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use,” reported The Hollywood Reporter.
The App Store description read, “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
The listing also provided screenshots of the app. As per the listing, the users can sign up from their Instagram account and keep their username. According to a US-based tech portal TechCrunch report, Threads will be linked to Instagram and could have a leg up on Twitter since it directly imports a user’s Instagram followers and following lists.
While there have been several alternatives to Twitter (such as Mastodon, Truth Social, and Bluesky), none have been able to recreate the network effects. Instagram believes that by bringing over its existing social graphs, Threads will have an advantage over its competitors, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
According to Lia Haberman, who taught social and influencer marketing at UCLA and tweeted a snapshot of an early app description, the new app will be independent of Instagram but allow users to connect accounts.
On May 19, she first revealed the details of this new app in her newsletter, ICYMI. Later, she revealed the app’s details in a series of tweets. She stated the app is similar to Instagram and Mastodon, “The decentralized app is built on the back of Instagram but will be compatible with some other apps like Mastodon. So, users on other apps will be able search for, follow and interact with your profile and content”. The users can connect with their existing followers.
Then she talked about increased word limit in text-based updates, “the app will have a centralized feed showcasing your followers and recommended content. You can post text updates up to 500 characters (that’s less than an Instagram caption, an extended tweet or a LinkedIn post, so be concise!) And also videos and images”. Users can attach links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long.
Lia Haberman also talked about the safety features, “the app will have creator controls and account safety features. For example, accounts you’ve blocked on IG will carry over Hidden words you’ve selected on IG will also carry over”. The app will follow Instagram’s community guidelines and be enabled by 2-factor authentication.
While talking about the developments in Meta, she stated, “historically, we know Meta likes to sample and recreate features from other apps and third-party tools based on what they anticipate being popular with their users”.
Though Meta’s side projects haven’t always been a success, it discontinued apps such as the anonymous teen app tbh, the Cameo-like app Super, the Nextdoor clone Neighbourhoods, the couples app Tuned, the student-focused social network Campus, the video dating service Sparked, and others in recent years. On the other hand, Threads is launching at the perfect time to profit from Twitter’s ongoing problems.
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