Instagram has launched a new app called Threads to compete with Twitter. Threads is a standalone app that lets users share text-based posts, photos and videos with a select group of friends. Gigadgets is also now on Threads! Join us today!
The app is similar to Twitter in that it offers a chronological feed of posts, but it also includes some features unique to Instagram, such as the ability to share Stories and add location stickers. Threads also limits the number of words to 500 characters. It will also be possible to follow, block, limit or report other profiles, and any accounts that block users on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads as well.
Threads is available to download now for both iOS and Android devices. However, it’s not launched in the European Union for the time being due to regulatory reasons.
To use the app, users must first connect it to their Instagram account. Once the app is connected, users can select the friends they want to share posts with. Posts in the threads are only visible to the selected friends and do not appear in the user’s main Instagram feed.
Posts can be shared “easily” between the two apps and can include links, photos and videos up to five minutes long. Users receive a feed of “threads” from people they follow and recommended content. They can control who can “mention” them and filter out replies to posts that contain specific words.
The app could be seen as a way to compete with Twitter. Twitter has struggled in recent years, and Instagram could hope to win over some of Twitter’s users with Threads. The app allows users to share more personal content with their friends, which could help keep them coming back to Instagram.
