Meta‘s microblogging app, Threads, created an online buzz when it launched on Wednesday, 5th July, 2023.
According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, five million people joined Threads in the first four hours of its introduction.
Here is what you need to know about the Threads app and how to join in the fun and start threading.
Read also: Twitter threatens legal action against Meta over its new App, Threads
About Threads
Threads is a text messaging program with a Twitter-like interface that allows users to post messages, reply to other users, and like or repost messages.
Users of Meta’s photo-sharing program Instagram will be able to log in with the same handles on Threads and vice versa. The goal is to help people easily add followers.
How Threads works
Threads have features similar to Twitter, so if you are familiar with the latter app, it should be easy-peasy for you.
The app is available on iOS or Android apps, but there currently is no desktop version. You may sign up for Threads using your Instagram login, and as new accounts join from Instagram, Threads will automatically follow all of the profiles you already follow on the photo-sharing app.
You are allowed to send posts with up to 500 characters, as well as pictures, animated gifs, and five-minute long movies. Its brief text-based content pieces likes, and reposts, just like Twitter, hence, you can not only like a thread but also quote it.
With all the fun things you can do with threads, there is currently no method to direct message, other users. For some, this is probably a relief.
Why users see threads of people non-followers
One of the primary complaints about Threads in the hours following its launch is that users are seeing posts from both the accounts they follow and a variety of other accounts.
According to Meta, a combination of algorithmic recommendations and followed accounts are used. Currently, there is no way to view only the postings of the users you follow, and the firm has not said whether it would ever offer this choice.
Privacy on Threads
The Threads account, like Instagram, is by default private if you are under the age of 16.
You can however, keep Instagram locked down and make Threads public if you want to keep it more private.
You are free to decide who can respond to your posts on Threads and at what moment you can make them private.
However, as regards having a “close friends” list on Threads, there are currently no plans for that. If you want a smaller audience, you can always set your profile to private so that only people you follow can see your threads.
Username change
You can currently only log into Meta using your Instagram account, and you can continue to use that username for Threads. For accounts that might have been concerned that someone might take their username, this is wonderful news.
Finding followers on other social media platforms
Not yet, but Meta wants the application to resemble rivals like Mastodon, be decentralized, and permit account transfers to other platforms.
The business is trying to integrate ActivityPub with Threads so that users can move their accounts and follows to other ActivityPub-supported apps and allow social networks to communicate with one another.
Privacy on Threads
The Threads account, like Instagram, is by default private if you are under the age of 16.
You can however, keep Instagram locked down and make Threads public if you want to keep it more private. You are free to decide who can respond to your posts on Threads and at what moment you can make them private.
However, as regards having a “close friends” list on Threads, there are currently no plans for that. If you want a smaller audience, you can always set your profile to private so that only people you follow can see your threads.
Privacy advocates have expressed concern about Threads due to the volume of personal information it can gather, which includes health, financial, contacts, browsing and search history, location data, purchases, and “sensitive info,” as stated in its data privacy disclosure on the App Store.
Rules on excesses
Basically, it is what you would discover on Instagram. It will therefore be harsher than Twitter in regards to matters like nudity and enforce the hate speech content guidelines that Twitter has been lacking since Elon Musk took charge.
Meanwhile, Meta has said it will not monetize Threads this year, but it has left the door open for advertisements in the future.