Threads, Meta’s Twitter competitor, has officially launched globally, including in India. The new software is available for free download on Google Play for Android devices and the Apple Store for iPhones. The app is positioned as an Instagram extension, however, it is mostly an independent platform with functionality lifted directly from Twitter. Users, for example, can create a series of linked pieces that are directly inspired by Twitter threads. Verified Instagram users receive a blue tick on Threads when they sign up to attract Instagram clients.
How to download and register for Threads?
The procedure to access Meta’s Threads is simple. Users can download the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and then log in with their Instagram ID. Threads will only ask for permission if you’re already logged in to Instagram, so you won’t have to enter your login information again.
How to use Threads?
Threads is a text-based chat app, whereas Meta presents Instagram as a photo-sharing or multimedia platform. Although Facebook exists, Threads is more akin to Twitter, or at least the previous version of Twitter. Each post can have up to 500 characters, links, images (up to 10 per post), and videos up to 5 minutes long. Users can also choose who can respond to their Threads posts. By pressing the three-dot menu, you can unfollow, block, restrict, or report a profile on Threads, and any profiles you’ve blocked on Instagram will be automatically blocked on Threads.
However, certain functionalities are currently lacking. Users, for example, cannot add GIFS and there is no “close friend” feature. Most significantly, there are currently no DMs on Threads. Users are also unable to post stories.
Meta mentions that the business intends to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, the organization in charge of the open standards that fuel the modern web. “It would make Threads interoperable with other apps that also support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress – allowing new types of connections that are simply not possible on most social apps today,” it explains in a blog post. Other platforms, notably Tumblr, have stated that they intend to support the ActivityPub protocol in the future.
Threads also has its own website, which has yet to go live. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri stated in a tweet regarding the debut, “We’re hoping Threads can be a great space for public conversations, and we’re very focused on the creator communities that already enjoy Instagram.” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, argues that the app uses the “best parts of Instagram” and provides a unique experience for words and thoughts.