Everything about Threads: What is interesting about the newest Twitter competitor connected to Instagram
Zuckerberg's competition with Musk has reached a new level
Threads is the recently announced response from Meta (the owners of Instagram and Facebook) to Twitter. It's hard to imagine a better time to create such an application, considering the amount of problems and global dissatisfaction Elon Musk's platform is currently facing. When will Threads be launched, how much will it cost, and how will it be connected to Instagram? Mind explains how all of this is supposed to work.
What is Threads?
Threads is described by its creators as "Instagram's text-based conversation app". In practice, it is a programme that closely resembles the features known from Twitter. With Threads, users can share their thoughts, comment on others' posts, and initiate longer discussions that serve as thematic hubs for more engaging conversations.
In the official description, it states that "Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favourite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world."
What features does Threads offer?
Among the features borrowed from Twitter that will be available in Threads are commenting, liking, in-app and cross-app messaging, as well as settings regarding who can respond to our posts.
Who is responsible for creating Threads?
Threads is developed by Meta, the creators of Facebook and owners of Instagram. It is known that Mark Zuckerberg himself is personally overseeing the development of this program. Meta has high hopes for Threads and believes in its success.
Is Threads a new programme?
For people with good memory, the name "Threads" may be associated with 2019 when Meta already released an app with the same name. However, at that time, it was meant to be a competition not for Twitter but for Snapchat. It turned out that the version of Threads released back then was not well received, and the app was quickly shut down, but they didn't abandon the name.
However, the Threads released in 2023 seems to have no additional connection (apart from the name) with the unsuccessful Snapchat competitor from years ago.
Is Threads a standalone app?
Threads is closely connected to Instagram. The relationship can be compared to the relationship between Messenger and Facebook, where Threads is the former. Like the Messenger-Facebook duo, Threads will be available for standalone use, but creating an account in Threads is equivalent to creating an account in the broader Instagram environment, even if we don't actively use it.
Will the Threads app be free?
Yes, Threads is a free app. We only pay with our data and advertising preferences.
Do I need an Instagram account for Threads?
We don't need to set up an Instagram account in advance if we want to use Threads. However, creating an account in Threads itself means creating an account within the broader Instagram environment.
Will my Instagram name and friends list be transferred to Threads?
If we start using Threads using our Instagram data, all possible information from the photo platform will be transferred to the new app – our username, friends list, and even chat history.
What data will Threads collect?
According to the developers, the following data may be collected and associated with user accounts, devices, or identifiers:
- health and fitness information;
- shopping;
- financial information;
- occupation;
- contact information;
- contacts;
- user data;
- search history;
- browsing history;
- identifiers;
- usage data;
- confidential information;
- diagnostics, and other data.
On which platforms is Threads available?
Threads can be found on Google Play (Android), App Store (iOS), and on the web.
Is Threads better than Mastodon?
Threads has many advantages over Mastodon – creating an account is intuitive, we immediately get a friend base from Instagram, and the interface is fully similar to what we know from Twitter. We also don't need to worry about the platform being fragmented into limited servers.
On the other hand, there are concerns about privacy and security. By creating an account on Threads, we are handing over our data to Mark Zuckerberg's company, and there have already been significant data leaks from his platforms. On the other hand, if you already have a Facebook and/or Instagram account, this may not make a significant difference.
When will Threads be released?
It is already known that the Threads platform will be officially available on July 6, 2023. The Threads.net page features an interactive 3D model with colourful dots forming the logo when viewed from the correct angle.
Android users will see a message stating that Threads will be "available for Android soon", while iOS users will be redirected to the download page for the active app in the United States. We do not know if the launch will be global or only in specific markets.
Threads is backed by Meta, a conglomerate and a major player in the social media market. In addition, it integrates with Instagram, which should help attract users. Considering the recent changes announced by Elon Musk and the dissatisfaction surrounding them, the new application has great potential for success. Whether it will truly captivate and become a hit, we may find out soon.