Mark Zuckerberg announces Threads, the new app developed by the Instagram team that aims to provide a separate space for real-time updates and public conversations through text; all you need to know the new ‘Twitter-like App’
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, introduced Threads as an extension of Instagram’s core features, expanding its positive and creative environment to include text-based content. Similar to Instagram, Threads allows users to connect with friends and creators who share their interests, including those they already follow on Instagram and beyond.
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The app offers a range of safety and user controls to ensure a secure experience for its users.
How Threads works
To get started with Threads, users can log in using their Instagram accounts, and their usernames and verification badges will carry over. Users under the age of 16 (or 18 in certain countries) will have private profiles by default.
They can choose to follow the same accounts they follow on Instagram and discover new like-minded individuals. Threads supports core accessibility features available on Instagram, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.
The app’s feed includes threads posted by the users you follow, as well as recommended content from new creators. Posts on Threads can be up to 500 characters long and can include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. Users can easily share Threads posts on their Instagram stories or share them as links on other platforms.
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Threads also provides tools to enable positive and productive conversations. Users have control over who can mention or reply to them within the app. They can filter out replies containing specific words using hidden words feature.
Blocking, unfollowing, restricting, or reporting profiles can be done through the three-dot menu, and blocking an account on Instagram will automatically block it on Threads as well. Instagram’s Community Guidelines are enforced on content and interactions within the app, ensuring a safe environment.
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The Future of Threads
In the future, Threads aims to be compatible with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This compatibility would enable interoperability with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress.
This move towards interoperability allows for new types of connections across different social apps. Users will have the option to transfer their content from Threads to another service, and people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with Threads users without needing a Threads account, creating diverse and interconnected networks.
Threads was rolled out in more than 100 countries for both iOS and Android platforms. Instagram plans to introduce new features to enhance the user experience, such as improved recommendations in the feed and a more robust search function for following topics and trends in real time.
Overall, Threads aims to provide a platform for public conversations through text, emphasizing user control, safety, and interoperability with other social networking apps.
