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In a world where social media platforms are constantly competing for users’ attention, a new player has emerged onto the scene. Threads, an app developed by Instagram’s team, is Meta’s latest venture into the realm of social networking.
With its promising features and rich integration with Instagram, Threads app is undoubtedly making waves. This informative piece delves deep into the details of this revolutionary app, explaining how to get started and its top features. Additionally, we will also take a closer look at how it intends to reshape the future of online communication.
What is Threads app?
Threads app, designed by Meta’s Instagram team, is a dynamic new platform that promotes text-based conversations. It is an exciting addition to the online world. The platform aims to take Instagram’s photo and video-sharing experience a notch higher by facilitating text-based communication.
Moreover, the app is free to use and accessible for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It also offers users the convenience of keeping their Instagram followers and profile information while enjoying a fresh platform for communication.
What is Threads app?
Getting started with Threads app
You can start with Threads app in a simple, straightforward process. You must possess an existing Instagram account to log into the app. The app carries over your Instagram username and verification status, but you do have the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads app.
Once you’ve logged in, you can begin following the same accounts you follow on Instagram, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. The app also enables the core accessibility features that are available on Instagram.
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Top five features of Threads app
In this section, we will explore the key features provided by the platform.
1. Safeguarding user interests
Threads app comes with a robust suite of safety and user controls, ensuring a secure and enjoyable user experience. Users below 16 years (or 18 in certain countries) will automatically have a private profile when they join Threads app.
The platform also comes with core accessibility features such as screen reader support and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image descriptions. These features make it an inclusive platform for all.
2. User controls
The platform offers a comprehensive range of user controls to help you manage your interactions. You can control who mentions you or replies to your Threads app posts. Moreover, you can apply filters to weed out replies containing specific words.
This feature can help in avoiding unwanted or offensive comments. Further, you can unfollow, block, restrict, or report a profile directly from the app. Accounts blocked on Instagram are automatically blocked on Threads, ensuring a consistent user experience across both platforms.
Delving into the intricacies of Threads app
3. Compatibility with interoperable networks
The app is not just about fostering conversations; it’s also about fostering connections across platforms. It aims to become compatible with ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
This compatibility would allow it to interoperate with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress. This means users of these platforms can connect and interact with Threads app users, creating a diverse and interconnected network of users.
4. Smooth interface
Your Threads app feed will include posts by people you follow, as well as recommended content from undiscovered creators. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and can include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes in length.
You can also easily share a post to your Instagram story or share your post as a link on any other platform of your choice.
5. Empowering developers and user experiences
The open social networking protocols established by the team behind the app not only enhance the ways people can connect but also empower developers to build new types of features and user experiences.
Each app can set its community standards and content moderation policies, giving people the freedom to choose platforms that resonate with their values. The decentralized approach, similar to the protocols governing email and the web, is believed to play an important role in the future of online platforms.
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What does Threads app bring to the table?
Threads app vs. Twitter
With its robust features and integration with Instagram, Threads app is giving other microblogging platforms, particularly Twitter, a run for their money. Drawing from Instagram’s massive user base, it has the potential to attract a significant number of users in a short time.
Despite the comparisons, the app is not merely a Twitter duplicate. It’s primarily designed for text-based conversations, with posts—referred to as “threads”—limited to 500 characters each. You can mention others in threads by using the @ symbol followed by their username, and responses to others’ posts are possible.
Threads app: A potential threat to Twitter?
In the realm of social media, the platform has been dubbed as a “Twitter killer.” This tag emerges from the anticipation that a substantial number of Twitter users may shift to this new social media platform.
What makes Threads app different
While the platform allows users to post primarily text-based messages on a scrolling feed, it also offers the functionality to post photos or videos. This is where followers can interact and reply. However, one notable way in which it diverges from Twitter is in its lack of a direct messaging feature.
The road ahead
Threads app is currently available in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android users. As part of their future plans, the developer team aims to introduce improved recommendations in the feed. In addition to that, they plan on adding a more robust search function to make it easier to follow real-time topics and trends.
As the app continues to evolve, it aims to become an integral part of the fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, helping users find their community, irrespective of the app they use.
