Meta is enhancing Threads, its alternative to X, by testing custom feeds that let users better manage their content. In addition, advertisements will be reportedly introduced starting January 2025, signaling Meta’s move to monetize the platform and align it with its other social media properties, Facebook and Instagram.
Custom Feeds: Personalized Browsing for Users
Threads is currently trialing a feature that allows users to create custom feeds tailored to specific topics or accounts. These feeds can be organized into columns—up to 100 in total—providing a structured browsing experience that moves away from traditional algorithm-driven content.
Users can build a custom feed by searching for a topic, tapping the three-dot menu, and selecting “Create New Feed.” The update caters to those who prefer more control over their interactions and want to curate their content for relevance.
Revenue Plans: Ads to Start Rolling Out in 2025
In January 2025, Threads is set to introduce ads, initially targeting a limited group of advertisers to refine its approach, writes The Information. This gradual rollout strategy will help Meta gauge user response and optimize ad placements before expanding further.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously explained the necessity of monetization, stating, “Threads needs to make enough money to pay for the people and servers that it takes to run the service and provide it to people for free”.
This step mirrors Meta’s established advertising strategy on its other platforms, aiming to ensure Threads remains a free service while contributing to overall revenue.
Threads’ Evolution and Integration with the Fediverse
Threads launched in July 2023, rapidly amassing 100 million users within weeks and reaching 175 million active monthly users by its first anniversary. Created as an alternative amid user dissatisfaction with changes at X, Threads began as a mobile app but expanded to desktop versions and Windows applications.
In March 2024, Threads integrated with the fediverse using the ActivityPub protocol, allowing users to share posts across platforms like Mastodon and PeerTube. The fediverse, an interconnected network of social platforms, provides a decentralized social media model.
This integration initially supported limited sharing, but by August 2024, users gained the ability to see and engage with replies from fediverse-linked platforms in a designated “fediverse replies” section, although these interactions remain read-only for now.
Meta further bolstered Threads’ growth with the release of its API in June 2024, inviting third-party developers to integrate with the platform. This move allowed tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social to facilitate content posting, reply management, and data analytics. In contrast to X’s restrictive API policies under Elon Musk, Threads’ API fostered collaboration and development, positioning Threads as a more open platform.
The oversight of Threads’ content moderation was expanded in February 2024 when Meta’s independent Oversight Board began reviewing cases on the platform. Initially established to handle Facebook and Instagram content disputes, the board’s inclusion of Threads was meant to ensure transparency and consistency in decision-making. Co-chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt stated, “Having independent accountability early on for a new app such as Threads is vitally important”.
