Threads, Meta's new app: Discover its functionality and mode of operation

After months of speculation and secrecy, Mark Zuckerberg's company Meta has launched its new app called Threads. This app is presented as a companion to Instagram and seeks to compete with Twitter. Some tech experts are already calling it the "Twitter killer."

Threads has intensified the rivalry between Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter last year. Musk has made changes to the Twitter experience, such as tweaking its algorithm and setting time limits on the number of tweets that can be read, which has sparked controversy.

What is Threads?

Threads has a head start with Meta’s financial backing and Instagram’s massive user base of over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide.

The app presents itself as an open and friendly space for real-time public conversations. It also allows users to leverage Instagram, which is Meta’s flagship app. To register on Threads , users need to have an Instagram account and use the same username on both apps. Users can also import their Instagram follower list to Threads. A verified Instagram account will also be verified on Threads. Users can choose whether they want their account to be private or public.

Why do they call her the “Twitter Killer”?

As for its similarities and differences with Twitter, Threads is very similar in many ways. Users can post text-based messages as well as photos and videos. However, Threads does not yet support direct messaging, a feature that Twitter does offer. Instagram has mentioned that it may add features to Threads if users request them.

The creation of Threads was an effort by Instagram to simplify its app and not overburden it with public conversations. The decision to create a separate app was also influenced by changes at Twitter since it was acquired by Musk. Instagram saw an opportunity to challenge Twitter not only over ownership, but also because of product changes and decisions made by Musk and others at the social platform.

What is the purpose of Threads?

Instagram’s goal is for Threads to work with multiple apps in what’s known as the Fediverse. This implies that Instagram wants Threads to be compatible with other platforms, which could entice creators and influencers so they don’t have to start from scratch on each app. For example, if a creator has a large following on Threads , they could bring them to other platforms based on the same technology. This would allow creators to take less risk and not feel “locked in” to a single platform.

Meta, the company that owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, has a history of trying to take down its social media rivals by copying their features. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has long expressed his desire to have a Twitter-like product. However, this strategy has not always been successful. Facebook's initial attempts to clone the ephemeral messaging app Snapchat were not very successful.

Despite this, Meta has continued to imitate its competitors. In 2020, they launched Reels, a TikTok-like tool that focuses on short videos, which has since become very popular.

Threads is available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play store in the United States and about 100 other countries as of Wednesday. Meta has plans to expand further.

However, at this early stage, Threads will not be available in the European Union (EU), one of the company’s largest markets. This is because the EU will implement the Digital Markets Act in the coming months, which limits the way big tech companies share data between services. Meta has decided to wait for more details on the application of the act before launching Threads in the 27 countries of the bloc.

In short, Threads is Meta’s new app that seeks to compete with Twitter. It is presented as a space for real-time public conversations and has the financial backing of Meta and the user base of Instagram. Although it is similar to Twitter in many ways, it still has some differences and more features are expected to be added based on user requests.