Before hastily switching to Meta’s version of Twitter, called Threads, consider this: if you don’t like it, you can’t just delete the Threads app alone. No, instead, your Instagram account will be gone as well, with no way to avoid it.
Threads has gained significant traction with 10 million sign-ups in just seven hours, making it the fastest-growing consumer offering, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Unfortunately, users have discovered a concerning downside. Leaving Threads results in the deletion of their Instagram account.
One frustrated user, Emily Hughes, shared on Twitter how deactivating her Threads account unexpectedly led to her Instagram account being deleted as well.
Ironically, this is clearly mentioned in Instagram’s Help Center and Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy, stating that you can deactivate your Threads profile anytime, but deleting it requires deleting your Instagram account too.
So, my advice is to carefully read the Privacy Policy before impulsively signing up for Threads. Are you willing to take the risk of losing your Instagram account if you decide to leave Threads?
I deactivated my threads account already but it turns out you can’t delete your threads account *without also deleting your Instagram account* so maybe just don’t sign up!
— emily hughes ✨ (@emilyhughes) July 6, 2023
To be honest, this move from Meta is quite disappointing. It reminds me of the time when Flickr was tied to your Yahoo account, forcing you to keep Yahoo or lose your Flickr profile.
However, that was about a decade ago, so it’s surprising that Meta is adopting a similar approach now. It feels like they’re not giving users the freedom to change their minds and are essentially forcing them to stay on Threads.
Fortunately, there is a potential workaround or “hack” if you’re simply curious about the new app. Create a new Instagram account and connect it to Threads.
If you don’t like it, you can delete everything and continue using your old Instagram as you always have. Another option, as Emily suggests, is to refrain from signing up altogether. As intrigued as I am, I think I’ll be sticking to the latter choice for now.