Keeping up with the social media It can be tricky at times. Every day there’s a new trend, a news story that goes viral in minutes, or an update that forces us to do things differently. Here’s an example to clarify things: Threads, a new initiative by Goal, the company Mark Zuckerberg. We’re talking about an app linked toInstagram which was launched in 2023 and established itself as a strong competitor to Twitter (now known as X). Since then, users have had a number of queries. How does it work? Threads? What sets it apart from Twitter? What does the future hold for this platform? If you’ve been asking yourself these questions too, read on – we’ve got the answers.
Key features of Threads
The name of Threads It is no coincidence. It is a common term in the field of computer programming that refers to the smallest unit of a programme’s execution. These may have multiple threads running simultaneously, which is known as multithreaded programming. Threads allow different parts of a programme to run independently.
It is precisely this idea of threads that are interconnected, whilst at the same time being capable of functioning autonomously, that defines Threads. It is a microblogging app where users can share, in real time, text posts of up to 500 characters accompanied by links, up to 10 images or videos with a maximum duration of five minutes. The social network was first launched in July 2023 and went live on 14 December in the European Union.
An interesting fact: the original version of Threads It became the fastest app to reach over 1 million users. To be precise, it took just one hour. Furthermore, within the first 7 hours it reached 10 million active users.
How does Threads work?
The first thing you need to know is that Threads is an app linked to Instagram, so you can log in with your account in the new app without having to sign up. On the other hand, if you’ve used Twitter, you may find that the way Threads it might sound familiar to you.
As we mentioned earlier, this platform supports posts of up to 500 characters, and you can include images or videos. You also have the option to reply to other people’s posts, share them or quote them. It has a news feed which displays content from accounts suggested by the algorithm, as well as those you follow. And yes, it includes a search bar and a notifications button.
As it is linked to Instagram, any followers you have on that platform will also be transferred to Threads if you’ve downloaded the app. What’s more, it has a feature that really makes it stand out: with just a few taps, you can share your post in the Instagram Stories, which creates that sense of a metaverse and enables greater interaction between the two social media platforms.
Differences between Threads and Twitter
- You need a Instagram account to use Threads, whereas Twitter works without any other app.
- On Twitter, posts are limited to 280 characters, whilst on Threads the limit is 500 characters. You can also upload more photos with each post, and the length of videos on Twitter depends on whether you have a verified account or not.
- If you have the verified account on Instagram, you’ll also have it verified on Threads. However, on Twitter you have to pay for the check.
- Your Instagram followers will be transferred to Threads. On Twitter, you start building your community from scratch.
- What happens on Twitter stays on Twitter (unless you take screenshots), whereas anything you post on Threads can easily be shared on the Instagram Stories.
- Whilst you can search on Twitter using words, accounts and hashtags, on Threads you can only find something by the username.
What does the future hold for Threads?
The main promise of Threads Its vision for the future is to become a decentralised social network by adopting the ActivityPub protocol and join the Fediverse alongside Mastodon. This means that there is no single server, so users of this platform can interact with users on other instances without having to register.
It also aims to be a free, open and friendly space where the audience can discuss topics of interest and current trends, or follow and connect with content creators and public figures. At the same time, they want Threads to be compatible with multiple apps, without restrictions, which could attract content creators who wish to start from scratch with their follower count.
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