Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is set to release a new social media app called Threads on Thursday, July 6. The app is designed to be a more intimate and personal way for users to connect with their friends and followers. With this launch, Meta is directly challenging Twitter and briefly went live on Wednesday morning as a teaser.
We first reported on Threads back in May, when it seemed a late June launch was in place. Threads is similar to Twitter in many ways. It allows users to post short messages, called “Threads,” which can be up to 2,200 characters long. Users can also reply to other users' Threads, like and repost them, and follow other users.
However, Threads also has some unique features that set it apart from Twitter. For example, Threads is integrated with Instagram, so users can see their Instagram followers and posts in the app. Additionally, Threads allows users to create private groups, which can be used for sharing photos, videos, and other content with a select group of people.
Meta has not yet released any official figures on how many people have pre-ordered Threads, but the app has already been met with some excitement from users. Some people have praised the app's focus on privacy and intimacy, while others have compared it to Snapchat. The app went live for a short period on Wednesday, as reported by The Verge.
Threads has a basic web interface that lets users view threads, but not create or join them. Users can like, comment, repost, and share threads, but they need to download the mobile app to do so. Threads is not available in some countries, such as the EU markets. Only a few thousand testers have early access to Threads, including the head of Instagram, Zuckerberg, and some brands and creators.
Competing Directly with Twitter
It remains to be seen whether Threads will be a success. However, the app's launch comes at a time when Twitter is facing increasing competition from other social media platforms. If Threads can offer users a more engaging and personal experience than Twitter, it could become a major player in the social media landscape.
Twitter is facing a crisis of trust among advertisers, who have been pulling back or cutting their spending on the service amid concerns since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year. Twitter ad revenue plummeted 59% across five weeks from April 1 to the first week of May, amid concerns about the company's handling of hate speech and misinformation.
Despite the challenges, Twitter has kept its users loyal and engaged. The company had 227 million daily active users who can see ads (mDAU) in the first three months of 2023, a 9% increase from the same period last year and a bit higher than what analysts predicted. Twitter said it grew a lot in foreign markets, especially in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
