Threads is a new app from Instagram that most people and publications are touting as the Twitter Killer! To be fair, it is a lot like Twitter, but it has a few key differences. Right now, it’s unclear if Threads could really overtake Elon Musk’s Twitter as the world’s digital town square, but Mark Zuckerberg is confident that his Twitter clone will certainly give it a run for its money.
According to Zuckerberg, Threads had 10 million sign ups within seven hours of its launch on Wednesday, 6th July. By Friday, that count had climbed to 30 million and is on pace to exceed 100 million users within two months according to the analytics firm Similarweb.
“I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it,” Zuckerberg said in a post to his Threads account on the day of the launch. “Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
Threads is available and free to download for iOS and Android users across the world except for the EU, which has clamped down on parent company Meta over security concerns. We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out in the future, but some crafty users have already found a few sneaky ways around this.
To sign up for Threads , you will need to have an Instagram account. When you create your Threads account, your profile picture, bio and personal links will be imported from your IG profile. A list of your IG followers will also be directly imported into Threads, and users who are verified on Instagram will be verified through Threads as well. Another feature is that Threads posts can be up to 500 characters and can include photos, videos and GIFs.
You can also upload different pictures and information to your profile, but your Threads username will automatically default to your IG username. Unfortunately, there is no option to change your Threads username at this time.
Your Threads feed isn't limited to just the people you follow. It's also filled with posts from people, publications and businesses you're not following, so if you want to only see posts from people you follow, you’ll have to change this setting manually in the app.
Unlike Twitter, Threads doesn't have a direct messaging feature, hashtags or an Explore page for trending topics, but those are features that will definitely be added sooner rather than later. Despite the lack of these popular features, the launch of Threads has gone off without any hitches.
If you're looking for a new way to connect with your friends and followers, Threads is worth checking out, especially if you’ve grown weary of Twitter. Just remember that if you decide to delete your Threads account, it will also delete your Instagram account, which seems like an unnecessary strong-arm tactic to keep people chained to the platform. If you want more info about Threads before diving in, you can visit the Threads website here: https://creators.instagram.com/blog/introducing-threads
