Meta is experimenting with a Threads experience similar to TweetDeck. Just like TweetDeck (before it became a paid service and was renamed to X Pro last year), Threads users can create customisable feeds stacked in a column interface on the web.
The CEO of Meta didn’t say what users can pin on the interface, but the screenshot he shared makes it seem like ‘pinning’ is now an option.
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The update on Threads
A single feed is an option for those in the test, but you can add columns for things like notifications, favourite searches, tags, accounts, and saved posts. Select columns can be set to update automatically in real-time.
Every time you visit Threads on the web, you’ll likely be greeted by the algorithm-powered ‘For You’ feed. This new interface is probably a reaction to frequent complaints from power users of Threads about this. There is a “Following feed” in Threads that updates in real-time, but you’ll need to either bookmark the URL or switch to a different browser whenever you access Threads online. Similarly, you can’t see the Following feed on mobile apps because Meta has hidden it under the main Threads logo.
Meta is releasing a chronological recent tab for searches on the service alongside this new TweetDeck-like UI on Threads. According to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, you can now view search results chronologically, who also mentioned that quality is still evaluated here.
According to Meta, the ability to “pin” searches, accounts, saved posts, and notifications is now available. For even quicker updates, you can turn on auto-refresh for this column. The business has stated that only a few people worldwide can access this feature.
Because of this change, third-party developers may have more leeway to use the Threads API to display social network content differently. Meta hasn’t mentioned allowing developers to build their own Threads clients through its API until now.
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Users found TweetDeck helpful
Before the 2011 acquisition, TweetDeck was a well-liked third-party app that allowed users to access Twitter. Twitter power users, journalists, and marketers loved it because of features like customisable feeds and support for multiple accounts. Access to the renamed X Pro is now available to paying customers with a $8 monthly X Premium account.
Social networks like Bluesky and Mastodon now have TweetDeck-like experiences built in by a few developers. Mastodon’s web interface is similar to that of TweetDeck. However, this announcement by Zuckerberg marks the beginning of Threads’ transition to a column-based tool.