Threads appear to share many functional similarities with Twitter. According to it App Store Profile, which promises users the ability to “share your vision” through text- or image-based posts called “threads.” Many features of the app seem to be closely integrated with Instagram, According to preview screenshotsIt gives users the option to log in with their Instagram handle, keep their username and follow the same accounts.
“You can follow what you love and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things,” the Threads App Store listing said. It also promised users the ability to “build a loyal following” and “share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world”.
In an email on Tuesday, Meta declined to provide more information about the app. But earlier this year, Meta said it was exploring creating a unique text-based social media network where “creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”
The release of Threads follows announcements over the weekend that Elon Musk, who bought Twitter in October, restricted the app’s functionality for many users. Last week, he announced that the site would temporarily limit the number of tweets Users can read a day, and the site has issued a “temporary emergency measure” that prevents users who are not logged in from viewing tweets in the site’s web browser. He said third-party computer programs should be prevented from linking to the site for data. to say: “We are looting so much data that it degrades the service of normal users!”
on Monday, Twitter announced Another change: Access to its TweetDeck platform — which offers users an advanced interface for viewing multiple tweets at once — will soon be limited to paying users.
Meta has also struggled with its own issues in recent months. Thursday’s planned release of Threads comes as the company embarks on a major downsizing effort, including cutting 21,000 roles and teams dealing with content, policy and regulatory issues. Like other tech companies, Meta is facing an industry-wide downturn — and increased competition from TikTok.
Monday night, Musk replied To a tweet about the release of Meta’s threads, “Thanks, they run very smart.” He too replied to do posts According to its App Store profile, it highlighted a long list of personal data users must provide Instagram access to use the app.
Meta and Twitter’s business war for users has been echoed by an increasingly public personal rivalry between the two at their helm. Last month, Metta CEO Mark Zuckerberg accepted Musk’s challenge to compete in a cage match at a Las Vegas arena after news reports about Metta’s Twitter rival. It’s unclear whether the fight will actually happen — as Zuckerberg tries to make himself more relevant to the tech elite.
Meta’s decision to launch Threads goes against other companies trying to lure users away from Twitter through alternative social networks.
Founded seven years ago, Mastodon’s open-source decentralized model saw a huge influx of new users soon after Musk acquired Twitter. Bluesky, also running on a decentralized system, was launched by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and is in beta. Unlike Twitter, the site says it wants to give users more control over their feed by allowing them to choose from different recommendation algorithms to improve their experience.
Meta is no stranger to introducing its own versions of innovations pioneered by rival apps – often with success. In 2016, Instagram copied Snapchat’s disappearing-photo feature and introduced Stories, An offer has become integral to its user experience. Four years later, Instagram rolled out Reels, allowing users to create and share TikTok-like short-form vertical videos.
Naomi Nix contributed to this report.
