Meta's latest announcement has turned the internet upside-down. Threads is a new Instagram feature that takes the conversational features of Twitter and folds them into Meta's existing network.
Why is this such a big deal? Apart from refueling the public's desire to see Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fight it out in a cage match, is Threads a real threat to Twitter?
What is the Threads App?
Meta announced the new feature Threads on July 5, calling it "an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text." Threads allows for text posts up to 500 words and can include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long. The feature also allows for thread-like responses.
How do I join Meta's Threads?
Upon launch, Meta's Threads app is only available on mobile -- as of now, Threads doesn't have a desktop app. Users need to simply download the app for an iOS or Android phone and use their Instagram account information to log in.
How many people have signed up for Meta's Threads?
According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, more than 30 million users have signed up for Threads since it's initial launch.
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Can I get verified on Threads?
The new social media app is an extension of Instagram's services, so if you're already verified on Instagram, you're automatically verified on Threads.
Users can also seek new verification through their account setting on Instagram or use Meta's paid service, Meta Verified.
Can users have multiple Thread accounts?
Threads accounts are directly attached to Instagram profiles -- if you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can have multiple Thread accounts. At launch, toggling between accounts on Threads is a log-in/log-out process; so far there is no feature allowing for management of multiple accounts from a central dashboard.
Meta Makes a Move
As soon as you see the format of Threads, you'll notice it's very familiar format. Threads is absolutely meant as a Twitter alternative -- and it's not the first social media blueprint to be copied by Meta. Instagram's Reels are a direct response to the popularity of the short-clip social media app TikTok.
Threads was announced in May 2023, nearly six months after billionaire Elon Musk spent a whopping $44 million to buy Twitter. In those six months, the Twitter had undergone some drastic changes, including mass layoffs, technical difficulties, and reported surges in hate speech.
But while users and traders hope that Threads will be a viable Twitter-alternative, compared side-by-side, Threads still has some work to do if it wants to come out ahead.
Threads vs. Twitter
Unlike Twitter, Threads doesn't allow for the use of hashtags, which help users follow and weigh in on trending topics. Threads is also missing a chronological timeline, making it more difficult to root out the most recent posts. And, of course, it's only available on mobile.
At the moment, Threads doesn't have a process for monetizing posts -- but it's reportedly in the works.
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The Twitter vs. Threads battle could already be on its way to a courthouse.
On Thursday, July 6, Twitter sent Meta a cease-and-desist letter, saying that Meta is partaking in the "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property" with its new app. The letter also asserts that Meta has been hiring former Twitter employees with the purpose of stealing Twitter's "highly confidential information."
