Meta has entered the text-based social media game with the launch of Threads, its Twitter rival tied to Instagram. To create an account on Threads, simply log in using your Instagram credentials. One of the key differences between Threads and Twitter is that Threads does not currently have paid tiers or ads. However, your verification mark from Instagram is carried over to Threads, even if you have paid for Meta Verified. This means that users can leverage their existing Instagram network to find people to follow on Threads.
Threads does not currently have some of the features that Twitter offers, such as long videos, direct messages, and live audio rooms. However, it does allow users to post images, videos, and GIFs, with a limit of 500 characters per post. A Thread post can support up to 10 media items. It’s worth noting that Threads has faced some limitations in terms of rate limits due to spam attacks.
As of August 2024, Threads has amassed over 200 million users. Within hours of its launch, Threads gained 10 million signups, and within 24 hours, it reached 30 million signups. In just five days, Threads hit the milestone of 100 million users. These impressive numbers demonstrate the platform’s rapid growth, even without being available in the EU due to privacy concerns.
While Threads is currently available on iOS and Android in over 100 countries, it was not initially available in the EU until December 2023. However, Meta has since launched Threads in the EU, allowing users to browse the social network without an account, albeit without the ability to publish or interact with other posts.
If you’re wondering how to use Threads on the web, you can visit Threads.net to view posts and publish content. The platform also recently released an update that includes various bug fixes and added features, such as support for the iOS 17 public beta.
If you decide that you want to delete your Threads account, you have the option to deactivate or delete it. Previously, to delete your Threads account, you had to delete your Instagram account, but Meta has since made it possible to delete your Threads account independently. Meta retains your data for 30 days after the initial deletion request, and you can cancel the deletion within that period if you change your mind.
One notable feature missing from Threads is the ability to send direct messages. Instead, the goal of the platform is to allow users to send threads to other apps for communication. Additionally, Threads now has a public API, enabling developers to build tools to publish posts and retrieve their own posts for insights about engagement. However, third-party clients for Threads are currently not possible due to limitations in the API.
Threads has also partially integrated with the Fediverse, allowing users to share their posts with other compatible ActivityPub networks like Mastodon. Users can also like Threads posts from the fediverse. In the future, Threads plans to share posts to the fediverse even if they are published through a tool using the Threads API.
In terms of data collection, Threads is connected to your Instagram account, meaning that it falls under the same data collection practices as other Meta apps, including Instagram. The privacy labels on the App Store reflect this, as stated by Meta’s deputy chief privacy officer, Rob Sherman. Users have raised concerns about the app’s data collection practices, but Meta assures that the labels are consistent with their other apps.
As Threads continues to evolve and grow its user base, it will be interesting to see how it competes with other text-based social media platforms and what new features it will introduce to enhance the user experience.