Introducing Threads, the new Instagram App, a text-based social network without the drama of Twitter. With an interface resembling Twitter, Threads allows users to follow and connect with their favorite creators and others who share their interests.
Collaborative threads keep the feed clutter-free, keeping discussions focused and organized. As Meta’s response to Twitter, Threads aims to provide a safe and reliable platform for content creators to grow their audiences.
And yes, big names like Oprah and the Dalai Lama are already on board.
Threads, while a standalone app, integrates Instagram accounts, making it easy for users to find and follow accounts they already follow on Instagram.
The app mirrors the appearance of leaks, with a feed similar to Twitter, where users can publish posts and threads. Interactions such as likes, comments, reposts, and sharing options are available.
Threads also plans to integrate with Fediverse in the future, allowing users to bring accounts and followers from other apps that support ActivityPub, such as Mastodon.
Despite being an Instagram extension, Threads does not currently have a fully functional browser-based version.
Meta’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, expressed the company’s commitment to delivering a safe and user-friendly app that provides a stable space for content creators to flourish.
Threads’ launch comes at a time when Twitter is experiencing criticism related to limiting tweet views. As Meta’s answer to these concerns, Threads offers an alternative space for photographers and content creators to thrive.
It’s worth noting that this is not Instagram’s first foray into the app named “Threads.”
In 2019, Instagram released Threads from Instagram, a camera-first messaging app to compete with Snapchat. However, that version failed to gain traction and was ultimately discontinued in 2021.
Now, Threads, an Instagram app, refocuses its aim on challenging Twitter.
While Instagram has traditionally been popular with visual artists, Twitter has a significant following in the photography and image-sharing community.
Instagram’s stricter content safety and privacy rules may limit its appeal to Twitter’s NSFW (not safe for work) user base. However, with its existing user base from Instagram and Facebook, Threads has the potential to become a thriving space for photographers and content creators, especially considering the recent frustrations expressed by Twitter users.
Threads is now available for free in select markets like the United States and the United Kingdom. Unlike Twitter, there are no in-app purchases for Threads, offering a user-friendly alternative.
However, due to more stringent data privacy laws in the European Union, Threads is not currently being launched in Ireland and other EU countries.