After much hype, Meta launched its Twitter-rival platform – Threads globally this week. Coming out as a branch of Instagram, Threads looks similar to Twitter.
It uses ActivityPub, a decentralised protocol that empowers Mastadon, thus letting users on either platform view and follow each other easily. Currently, Meta’s Threads allow users to post up to 500 characters, images and videos, but with no option for DMs.
Cashing on Twitter Chaos
As tipped in March this year, Meta has finally rolled out its much-awaited Twitter competitor – Threads, this week. Since branching out from Instagram, the new app got its aesthetic design alongside Twitter’s UI. Available on both web and as an app (Android and iOS), interested users can sign-up right away with their Instagram credentials.
Once in, you can follow all the people you follow from your Instagram account and maybe the new ones. Though it carries over all your Instagram credentials and profile data, users can still customise their Threads profile anytime, later.
Touted as a “separate space for real-time updates and public conversations”, Threads limits the post characters to 500 but allows photos and videos to express yourself more. Although, videos are capped at five minutes for now. Well, there’s no support for DMs as of now, which is intriguing.
You can like, repost (its version of a retweet), and quote posts, besides flagging abusive users or content, and limiting replies for your post. And since Threads relies on ActivityPub protocol – the one Mastodon uses – users on either platform may be able to view and connect.
Meta calls this integration “Fediverse” and is in the process of inducting ActivityPub deeper in Threads. So, if you’re interested, sign-up to join the new online community, which is available everywhere except the EU at the moment, as Meta delays it to address any potential regulatory concerns.
Hoping those will resolve soon; it’s interesting to see how the new Threads app can scale to compete with Twitter. Other rival platforms, like Mastodon, Bluesky, T2 etc., have created enough hype to seem better than Twitter but cannot pull users as expected. Well, with Meta’s deep pockets and billions of active users in its arsenal, it shouldn’t take much time for the company to grow this new service.
