Meta released Threads, which everyone knows is a direct response to Twitter. It’s a Twitter-model app that has all the shenanigans of Instagram. The head of Instagram raised concerns about the unpredictability of Twitter after it was given under Elon’s control.
But what exactly is Threads, and can it surpass Twitter by any means? Let’s talk about everything you need to know about the potential Twitter killer.
Background of Threads
Instagram Threads was a standalone app from Meta that allowed users to connect with their close friends in a more intimate way. It was designed to be a more personal and private experience than Instagram itself, with a focus on text-based communication and fewer distractions.
Threads users could post short text updates, photos, and videos that would only be visible to their close friends. They could also send direct messages to each other and see who was recently active on the app.
Threads was launched in 2018, but it never really caught on with a large number of users. In December 2022, Meta announced that it would be shutting down Threads, citing low usage.
Here are some of the features of Instagram Threads:
Private and intimate: Threads was designed to be a more personal and private experience than Instagram itself. Only your close friends could see your posts and messages, and you could choose to keep your activity on Threads hidden from your main Instagram profile.
Text-based communication: Threads focused on text-based communication, with a focus on short, informal updates. You could also send photos and videos to your friends, but the app had a different focus on visual content than Instagram.
Real-time conversations: Threads was designed to facilitate real-time conversations between friends. You could see who was recently active on the app, and you could send direct messages to each other.
Overall, Instagram Threads was a well-intentioned app that tried to offer a more personal and private experience than Instagram itself. However, it only caught on with a small number of users, and Meta eventually decided to shut it down.
What are Instagram Threads?
Threads work just like Twitter. To put it simply, it’s like your Instagram has its own mini social media. However, that’s the beauty of Threads which we will talk about later. Threads is a social media app quite similar to Twitter in many ways.
For example, the app’s main screen has Threads just like Tweets, and it can show posts that meta calls “threads,” of course. You can simply log into threads using your Instagram profile, and the user-experience so far has been flawless. It doesn’t resemble Instagram, but it also doesn’t feel like you’re using a different app.
You can also follow all your friends on Instagram that use Threads, and that’s the brilliance of Meta. When it comes to Threads’ features, you can post up to 500 characters long threads, and you can also include photos.
Social media does support videos as long as they’re under a minute. Well, that’s quite cool. But the best part that I like about Threads is that it doesn’t have any ads. We don’t know whether that will stay like this for long, but for now, everything seems nice.
Moreover, there’s no paid verification like Twitter, making people want to shift to Threads. If your Instagram profile has a blue checkmark, so do your Threads. There are also privacy concerns that don’t allow extreme content to be posted, which is nice.
Ever since Meta launched Threads, it seems like there’s been a silent war going on between Twitter and Meta. Moreover, the app is excluded from the European Union for now due to some of the laws coming into effect next year.
But can Threads officially take over Twitter? Does it have the slightest chance of becoming on par with one of the biggest news portals and social media channels? Let’s find out.
How Threads Can (Potentially) Surpass Twitter?
Here are some of the ways Threads can quite literally surpass Twitter:
Focus on close friends: Threads is designed to be a more personal and private experience than Twitter, with a focus on connecting with your close friends. This could appeal to users who are looking for a more intimate way to communicate with their social circles.
Text-based communication: Threads focuses on text-based communication, which could appeal to users who prefer to communicate with text rather than images or videos. This could be especially appealing to users who are on the go or who need more time to scroll through visual content.
Real-time conversations: Threads is designed to facilitate real-time conversations between friends. This could appeal to users who want to be able to chat with their friends at the moment.
Integration with Instagram: Threads is integrated with Instagram, which could give it a boost in terms of reach and exposure. This is because Instagram already has a large user base, and users who are already on Instagram may be more likely to try Threads.
