Threads by Meta is the newest addition to the social media space by Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta corporation, introducing the Instagram threads app.
You may have been seeing people on social media talking about joining Threads. So what is threads by Meta?
Threads is a platform that allows you to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters. You can include links, photos or videos up to 5 minutes long.
It has been described as a competitor to Twitter from Instagram.
Read on to find all there is to know about Threads by Meta.
What is Threads by Meta?
On Wednesday, July 5th 2023, Meta launched Threads, a new text-based conservation app designed to potentially rival Twitter.
Created by Meta’s Instagram team, Threads is a platform that allows you to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters.
You can include links, photos or videos up to 5 minutes long. The app is linked to your Instagram account, and according to Meta, you can “easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.”
Meta revealed how its Instagram users can join Threads in a tutorial.
“It’s easy to get started with Threads: simply use your Instagram account to log in. Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads.” according to Meta’s own post.
It adds: “Everyone who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads. You can choose to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram, and find more people who care about the same things you do…Your feed on Threads includes threads posted by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose,”
“Our vision is to take the best parts of Instagram and create a new experience for text, ideas and discussing what’s on your mind,” Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an Instagram post after Threads was made available for download. “I think the world needs this kind of friendly community, and I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one.”
When will Threads by Meta launch?
Threads by Meta went live Wednesday evening, July 5th 2023. The app is available in Apple’s App Store. The Instagrm threads app is also available in the Google Play store.
Are there more Twitter alternatives?
Yes, there are several, with Bluesky in particular receiving considerable attention. The service, which is backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, remains in its testing phase and not fully open to the public. Entry to the invite-only beta can be hard to come by.
Threads by Meta will have to compete with a flood of other Twitter alternatives, including Mastodon, Post. News and Hive, Proulx noted. Thread “only serves to fracture the Twitter alternative-seeking user base,” he noted.
How to use Instagram Threads app
You must have an Instagram account to join Threads, as the platform requires you to use your Instagram login credentials to sign in. Once you launch your account, your Instagram username will be ported over, but you can create a customizable profile, though Meta notes that UK users who are younger than 18 will receive a default private profile.
You can easily follow the same accounts you already follow on Instagram with a few clicks and port your following over rather than start from scratch on Threads. When you create a post or “Thread,” you can select who’s able to view it, which may be the entire world or your followers.