Meta officially launches Threads

Meta has officially launched its newest app, Threads, on Wednesday, which is set to rival Twitter by offering a space for real-time conversations online.

The app has similarities with Twitter, from the layout to the description, as the listing emphasises its potential to build a following, and connect with like-minded people, and become a place where communities can come together to discuss various topics.

“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,” the listing mentions.

Upon its launch, Threads passed two million sign-ups in just two hours, and five million sign-ups in the first four hours.

“The vision for Threads is to create an option and friendly public space for conversation, we hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind,” said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Threads post following the launch.

Users have the option to link their Instagram page after downloading Threads, customise their profile and can follow the accounts they follow on Instagram.

Threads’s layout is familiar with Twitter’s, with the text-based feed, the ability to repost and quote posts, but with Instagram’s aesthetic and the ability to share posts from Threads directly to Instagram Stories.

Verified Instagram accounts can also be automatically verified on Threads, and Thread accounts can be either public or private.

Threads’s launch follows Twitter’s recent decisions of limiting tweet views, as well as making TweetDeck available for verified users only, which received backlash from Twitter users and made them resort to other rivals.

Threads is not the only competition Twitter has, with users turning to other apps like Bluesky.