Today is the day that Threads, Meta's answer to Twitter, rolled out, and the beginning is quite impressive.
The app, which some say could be the next Twitter, is now available in more than 100 countries, including the US and UK. According to Meta's owner, Mark Zuckerberg, 10 million users have already signed up for Threads just seven hours after the launch.
Threads is an app tightly connected to Instagram. If you want to try it, you can either download it from the Apple App Store and Google Play or search for "Threads" in the Explore Tab on Instagram. The “friendly” rival of Twitter, as Zuckerberg refers to Threads, comes out at a time when Twitter is facing problems in keeping its users on the platform, but more about that later.
What exactly is the Threads app?
Threads is a new app built by the Instagram team, designed for sharing updates with your friends in the form of text and engaging in public conversations. It allows you to log in using your Instagram account and share posts up to 500 characters long, including links, photos, and videos.
Threads is working to connect with other apps like Mastodon and WordPress through ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol, which Meta believes is the future of the internet. This will allow for unique connections and give you more control over your audience, including the option to transfer your content to other services. Threads is the first Meta’s app to be compatible with an open social networking protocol.
Image Credit–Meta
The Threads app's idea is to give users the opportunity to connect with friends, followers, and like-minded people outside Instagram. And it seems like people are liking the idea, at least for now. In many ways, the app reminds of Twitter with a focus on short texts whose goal is to start a conversation. With Instagram having more than 1.5 billion users across the globe, Twitter might finally have found real competition.
How to use Threads?
To use Threads, you simply log in with your Instagram account. After that, you can personalize your Threads profile to your liking. For users under 16 (or under 18 in specific countries), joining Threads automatically sets them up with a private profile. You have the option to follow the same accounts as on Instagram and discover like-minded individuals. Threads also supports core accessibility features, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.
Your Threads feed displays posts from people you follow, as well as recommended content from new creators. You can create posts up to 500 characters long, including links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in duration. Sharing a Threads post to your Instagram story or any other platform is effortless with the provided options.
You can also decide who can mention or reply to you in the app. Just like on Instagram, you can filter out replies with specific words. Unfollowing, blocking, restricting, or reporting a profile is simple through the three-dot menu. Accounts blocked on Instagram are automatically blocked on Threads too.
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Image Credit–Meta
What's the deal with Twitter and Threads?
Recently, Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, made yet another push to try to turn free Twitter users into paid Twitter Blue subscribers. This push was not well received by users, and Meta decided to act at the right time with the Threads announcement and launch.
Not too long ago, the two most famous technology billionaires had an online fight, ending in an agreement for a cage fight between them. Sounds a bit ridiculous, but who knows if they are being serious or just having some fun by goofing off online.
Today, after the launch of Threads, Mark Zuckerberg posted a tweet for the first time in almost 12 years, and the tweet is definitely referring to the cage fight. Musk, of course, responded with a tweet himself about the new Threads app, somewhat questioning the friendliness of the supposed Twitter rival.
The "battle" between Twitter and Threads, as well as between their owners, might just be starting, and I suppose it would be fun to watch if nothing more. If Twitter continues to make unpopular changes to the platform, the battle might not be long, considering the quite successful start of Threads.
For the moment, Threads is available in more than 100 countries globally, but it has not yet launched in the EU, since the app does not meet the privacy and data protection requirements of the EU.
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Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.
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