Instagram’s alleged rival to Twitter has just been released on the iOS App Store in the United States. The application will be named Threads, and according to data from the App Store, its launch is expected on July 6.
This is an opportune moment for Instagram to step into the arena. Over the past weekend, while Twitter stumbled with rate-limit errors, competitors like Spill, Bluesky, and Post experienced significant growth. However, Threads may have an advantage due to its ability to seamlessly import your Instagram followers and following lists. Instead of commencing anew, Threads users will find their pre-existing Instagram connections readily accessible.
According to the description on the App Store, “Threads is where communities come together to engage in discussions about various topics of interest, from current matters to upcoming trends. No matter what you’re passionate about, you can follow and connect directly with your favourite creators and others who share the same interests. Alternatively, you can build a dedicated following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.”
While Threads maintains a close association with Instagram, it will operate independently as a standalone application. Further, limited information is available from the App Store listing alone, it appears that users will be able to like, comment on, repost, and share posts. The screenshots on the App Store also demonstrate the ability to choose the audience that can reply to your posts—whether it be everyone, people you follow, or only those mentioned in the post.
The announcement of Threads isn’t particularly surprising, as details have gradually emerged over the past few months. An Instagram spokesperson described Threads as “decentralized,” according to Money Control.
Furthermore, leaked slides from a briefing with top creators indicated that Threads would be compatible with Mastodon, which operates on the decentralized network ActivityPub. However, considering that Threads is a part of Instagram, a highly centralized app, this claim seems contradictory. We’ll have to wait and see how this rumour unfolds. Nonetheless, other rumours have essentially been confirmed, as all the details in the App Store listing align with what we learned from the leaked slides.
Meta’s previous side apps haven’t always achieved success. In recent years, they have discontinued products such as the anonymous teen app tbh, the Cameo-like app Super, the Nextdoor clone Neighbourhoods, the couples app Tuned, the student-focused social network Campus, the video dating service Sparked, and more.
However, Threads is launching at an opportune time to take advantage of Twitter’s recurring mishaps. Ultimately, it is up to consumers to decide if they want Meta to dominate another aspect of their social media experience.
