Instagram’s competitor to Twitter, called Threads, has been officially launched. The app is now available on both Android and iOS devices, as well as on the desktop site Threads.net. According to Instagram, the app is being made available in more than 100 countries, excluding the European Union. Within just two hours of its launch, Threads received over 2 million signups.
Threads is created by the Instagram team and allows users to share text updates and participate in public conversations. Users can log in to the app using their Instagram account and share posts up to 500 characters long, including links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
The design of the app is reminiscent of Twitter, with users being able to like, comment, repost, and share threads. The integration with Instagram allows users to use the same username and connect with people they follow on other platforms. Users can also see recommended content and posts from people they follow, similar to Instagram. The app features an activity feed that showcases replies, follow requests, and mentions.
Like Twitter, Threads allows users to control who can reply to their threads, whether it’s everyone on the platform, people they follow, or only users they mention in the post. Users can also filter out replies containing specific words and have the ability to unfollow, block, restrict, or report profiles. If a user has blocked an account on Instagram, that account will be automatically blocked on Threads as well.
At launch, Threads does not support the ActivityPub protocol, but Instagram has mentioned its plans to make the app compatible with it in the future. ActivityPub is an open social networking protocol used by platforms like Mastodon. With its restrictions on user activity, such as rate limits for unverified users, Threads poses a significant competition to Twitter.
In conclusion, Instagram’s Threads app has made its debut, allowing users to share text updates, photos, videos, and links. The app’s design is similar to Twitter, and it offers integration with Instagram accounts. With its various features and restrictions, Threads aims to provide a unique social media experience and compete with platforms like Twitter.
