What you need to know
- Instagram's Threads app is coming soon as Twitter's alternative.
- It is supposedly a conversation-based app, which incorporates the famous "threads" inspired by Twitter.
- Users with Instagram accounts can sign up for Threads when it goes live.
Instagram is attempting to capitalize on the disarray that Elon Musk's reign over Twitter has created. Your phones might soon receive the new thread app from the Meta-owned platform.
We have been hearing about Instagram working on a Twitter alternative for quite some time. It is dubbed "Threads, an Instagram app," and it has already made its way to Google Play Store for Android devices and via Apple App Store for iOS devices. On the latter, the app goes with a description stating, "Share ideas & trends with text."
Both app store listings showcase the same set of screenshots of the Threads app revealing what to expect from the interface alongside the process of signing up. Instagram users can sign up directly with their Instagram accounts, similar to how Facebook allows users to sign up to their Instagram using Facebook accounts.
The screenshots also indicate giving users the flexibility to choose from the same followers that they follow on Instagram, even on the new Threads app. The other images reveal a similar thread format, which we are accustomed to through Twitter threads, meaning a post can be converted to a thread with multiple relative replies it gets.
The interface further reveals the ability to "love," "reply," "repost," and "share" posts and threads. The "repost" feature appears new on Threads, as others are already seen on Instagram. The Threads app, which calls itself Instagram's text-based conversation app, has the following description on the app listings revealing the primary purpose of the new app from Meta.
"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world."
According to The Verge, Meta has also started teasing the launch date of the Threads app via Instagram. Users who search for "threads" in the Instagram app are apparently greeted with a ticket icon revealing the launch date slated for July 6 at 10 AM ET.
Although it is encouraging to see Meta launch a direct Twitter rival, the Threads app has already caught the attention of former Twitter executives.
All your Threads are belong to us https://t.co/FfrIcUng5O pic.twitter.com/V7xbMOfINtJuly 4, 2023
Jack Dorsey has tweeted out stating, "All your Threads are belong to us," with a screenshot of the Threads' Apple App Store page (the same can be seen on the Play Store listing as well), which reveals the amount of data that the new app collects, including health & fitness data, location, user content, sensitive information amongst other parameters. To which Elon Musk had conveniently replied, "Yeah."
Users have to bear in mind Dorsey is already behind another Twitter alternative dubbed "BlueSky," the process to get on it is still limited to consumers as it is invite system-based. The chance of getting it is fairly limited.
On the other hand, ever since Elon Musk brought Twitter, the radical changes it went through had made other text-based alternatives like Mastodon climb up the ladder to make it to the best social media apps list.
