Instagram to launch Twitter competitor this week, with perfect timing
Instagram is launching a new “text-based conversation app” called Threads on Thursday, July 6 — just as Twitter users are once again contemplating a mass exodus in the wake of controversial changes spearheaded by the social network’s owner, Elon Musk.
The new app from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, appeared on the iOS App Store on Tuesday after an early listing was spotted on the Google Play store earlier in the weekend, according to The edge. A countdown to 10 a.m. EDT on July 6 has also appeared on the website threads.netwith a link to the App Store listing.
Threads seems to have a similar interface and functionality to Twitter and other social media platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon. Screenshots in the App Store listing show the ability to like, reply, and repost a post, follow users, and control who can comment on a post. Login seems to be handled through Instagram accounts, with users keeping the same username.
“Say more with Threads – Instagram’s text-based conversation app,” the app description reads. “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what will be trending tomorrow. Whatever you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or you can build a loyal following yourself to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
Meta’s Twitter competitor has magically appeared, just as controversial rule changes at Twitter have once again alienated a large number of users. In recent days, Twitter required login to view posts, rate limits how many messages users who don’t subscribe to the Twitter Blue service can watch a day, and said it’s the TweetDeck dashboard interface exclusive to Twitter Blue.
The result is another wave of signups from Twitter rivals Mastodon and Bluesky; Bluesky, which is in beta, had to temporarily suspend the registration of new users to meet demand. Threads could be an even bigger beneficiary of the Twitter turmoil, as it comes from the world’s largest social media company and piggybacks on Instagram’s mammoth user base. Most users don’t even need to create a new account to use it.
The downside, as always with Meta platforms, is privacy. As stated on the App Store page (en summoned by former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey And current boss Musk), the Threads app may collect data about your health, finances and other sensitive information and link it to your identity. Instagram does, but Twitter doesn’t go that far, while Bluesky and Mastodon collect little to no data through their apps. But ease of use and sign-up may still be the deciding factor for many Twitter refugees.