Mark Zuckerberg’s direct competitor to Twitter, Threads, garnered a mixed response today as more than 10 million users signed up for the app. Social media was flooded with memes criticizing Facebook’s CEO and highlighting supposed bugs and the lack of essential features on Threads. Some users even humorously shared GIFs, suggesting that people would quickly return to Twitter after trying the new app.
In his own post on Threads, Zuckerberg proudly announced that the app had acquired over 5 million sign-ups in just the first four hours. He expressed his belief that there should be a public conversations app with a user base of over 1 billion people, a feat he believes Twitter has failed to accomplish. Zuckerberg added, “Hopefully we will.”
Threads marks the next chapter in the ongoing rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter back in October. Last month, these two high-profile billionaires engaged in a viral exchange on social media, challenging each other to a cage fight.
Users of the app can conveniently log in with their Instagram credentials, and much like the popular photo-sharing platform, they can follow friends and influencers who share similar interests. In the UK, all users under 18 will automatically have a private profile upon joining.
The app’s feed displays threads from followed individuals, as well as recommended content from creators users may not be familiar with yet. Threads posts can be shared on a user’s Instagram story and as links on other platforms. Users have control over who mentions them and who can reply to their posts on the app. Furthermore, filtering options allow users to exclude replies containing specific words, while blocking, restricting, and reporting other users are also possible actions. Additionally, accounts blocked by a user on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads, and Instagram’s safety guidelines will extend to the new app.
Ultimately, the ambition for Threads is to enable interaction for non-users of the app, leading to a new era of diverse and interconnected networks, according to Meta, the California-based company behind the development. If this becomes a reality, public profile posts will be accessible from other apps, while private profile users will retain the ability to approve new followers.
Industry analyst Matt Navarra recently expressed that Threads poses the first credible threat to Twitter. He articulated the desire of Twitter users to find an alternative platform and explained that existing options are limited due to the challenge of starting from scratch. Threads can now be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store in more than 100 countries, including the UK, where millions have already joined.
Upon downloading Threads, users simply log in using their Instagram username. Posts can contain up to 500 characters, including links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes in length. The app also provides the ability to filter out replies containing specific words, as well as the option to block individuals from mentioning you. Prominent figures like Gordon Ramsay and Shakira have already made use of Threads by posting content.
One significant advantage for Meta is building upon Instagram’s existing user base, allowing individuals to seamlessly transition and jumpstart their following since it operates within the same social graph. However, Navarra highlighted that public opinions on Meta are divided due to the company’s past controversies and negative press, which may affect user reception.
This release coincides with Twitter’s recent announcement that TweetDeck will only be available to paying users with verified status. Additionally, Elon Musk disclosed that users would be restricted to reading only 600 posts a day. Keep up with the Daily Mail on Threads by following them at https://www.threads.net/@dailymail and MailSport at https://www.threads.net/@mailsport.
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