With the recent uproar over Twitter’s decision to paywall the Tweet Deck and limit the number of Tweets, the launch of Threads could not have come at a better time.
The app, linked to Instagram and owned by Meta, is a direct competitor attempting to take Twitter’s user base and capitalize on its ‘unhappy’ users.
If you haven’t heard about the app, it was only announced recently by Mark Zuckerberg and went through a ‘silent’ launch, which became available for pre-download on the App Store and Google Play Store a week before launch.
Within the first 24 hours, Mark Zuckerberg posted a thread announcing that Threads received over 10+ Million signups.
What Is Threads?
Threads is a new social media app owned by the parent company Meta, and directly linked to Instagram. It is similar to Twitter in terms of design, function, and interface, where it aims to focus on discussions and thoughts.
“Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.”
Source: Meta
The premise is similar to that of Twitter, where there are now Threads instead of Tweets. Users are able to mention, follow, post links/images, and follow a feed on the ‘home tab’ in order to see the latest updates from the community.
How to Download Threads and Signup
Threads is an app available to download free on the App Store and Google Play Store. It is also the most accessible social platform to sign up for, with no messing around.
Although, you must have an active Instagram account to sign up.
You will import your name, bio, and links directly from Instagram and have your account up and running in less than 30 seconds.
When signing up you can edit your bio and link, which is visible in your profile, however, your name must remain the same as it is linked to Instagram.
You can change the bio and link in your profile at any time.
Any users that are under the age of 18 or 16 in some countries, will be given a private and default profile for protection.
How Does Threads Work
Learning how to use Threads will take you no time at all, as it’s in the first stage of release, the features are simple and the layout is easy to navigate.
“Your feed on Threads includes threads posted by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet.”
Source: Meta
You have the ‘Home‘ tab or ‘Feed’ which is where you can view the latest Threads from users. This seems to be a mixture of those you follow and random people.
There is a ‘Search‘ tab which is used to find people to follow.
The ‘Start a New Thread’ tab which is where you can create posts to share with the community.
This allows you to post up to 500 characters, and share images, videos, links to external content, and GIFs.
“Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.”
Source: Meta
You also have control over who sees the Thread, Anyone, Profiles You Follow, and Mentioned Only.
In terms of hashtags – it seems as though Threads hasn’t incorporated this function into the platform yet.
There is an ‘Activity’ tab which is where a user can view likes, replies, and mentions from other users.
Finally, there is a ‘Profile‘ tab. This will be your overall profile, show your latest posts/replies, and allow you to make adjustments to the profile or personal settings.
You have the option when signing up and at any time, to switch your profile to private, just like Instagram allows.
With user interactions, you can like, comment, repost, and directly share posts and comments.
Comments are nestled under the main post and can also be ‘threaded’ the same as Twitter. This allows users to engage in separate conversations.
Is Threads Similar to Twitter?
Threads is very similar to Twitter in many aspects. The design and layout, while it is simplistic, mimics Twitter’s usability, threaded post options, and post styles.
However, Threads lacks many other functions and features that Twitter has (including paying for blue check marks!).
It is likely that Threads will add more features in the coming months though, and if the team listens to feedback and its users, it can differentiate from Twitter to become more successful.
A post on Threads is also called a ‘Thread’ similar to how a post on Twitter is called a ‘Tweet’. This can become confusing as multiple posts under the same post, is also called a thread.
How Will Threads Grow?
As Threads is brand new, there will be many updates and features to come. With 10+ million users already signed up, Meta has the perfect opportunity to listen to its new user base and create a powerful social community.
In addition to this, Threads will be adding advanced functionalities and creating a ‘Fediverse’ to create services that share communication protocols.
“Soon, we are planning to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body responsible for the open standards that power the modern web. This would make Threads interoperable with other apps that also support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress”
This will add even more features and functionality to the app, encouraging more users and even businesses to sign up or keep using the app.
Meta also mentioned that they want to create a decentralized platform:
“We believe this decentralized approach, similar to the protocols governing email and the web itself, will play an important role in the future of online platforms.”
This will be a huge factor in people’s decision to use the app.
“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.”
Of course, unlike startup social media platforms, Threads has its parent company Meta behind it, which is almost like having an endless pot of money.
The app has all the resources it needs to be able to grow and develop into a global phenomenon and take market share from other competitor apps.
Risks
Like many new apps/social platforms, people can be quick to jump on trends before making their decision on whether to keep using them.
This can be the case with Threads. Although 10+ million users have signed up, how many of those will remain active? How many will drop off after a week or a month?
It’s too early to tell at this stage.
Another risk for users that can also impact people signing up is privacy.
As you can see below, this image is trending on different platforms, showing what data Threads will have access to.
Is This The End of Twitter?
Twitter will always have a loyal user base and has a long-standing reputation. It has also integrated with many other services/apps.
Threads will be a huge competitor to Twitter, with the possibility of stealing a portion of its user base.
It’s too early to tell how the launch of Threads will impact Twitter though.
Personal thoughts
From a personal perspective, Threads has done many things right.
- It has launched at the perfect time from a competitor’s standpoint.
- It is simple to use with no overcomplicated features.
- It links directly to Instagram and made signup very easy.
But it also has a long way to go. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype at the beginning, but it will be interesting to see which way Meta takes this app.
As long as it doesn’t become overcomplicated to use, like Facebook, it should be an ideal social community.
