Introducing Threads: A new way to share with text!

Meta on Thursday (6 July) announced the launch of its new app – Threads, built by the Instagram team.

Mark Zuckerberg just announced the initial version of Threads, an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text, reads a press release from Meta.

Whether you're a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. Meta is working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that can shape the future of the internet.

Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Meta's vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express ideas.

It is easy to get started with Threads, one simply has to use Instagram account to log in. Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customise profiles specifically for Threads.

Posts can be up to 500 characters long, and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.

Just like on Instagram, with Threads users can follow and connect with friends and creators who share their interests – including the people they follow on Instagram and beyond.

Photo: PR

Users can easily share a Threads post to their Instagram story or share their post as a link on any other platform they choose.

Meta is taking safety seriously; Instagram's Community Guidelines on content and interactions will be enforced in the app.

Threads is built with tools to enable positive, productive conversations.  Users can control who can mention them or reply to them within Threads, adds the release. 

Users can also unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts they've blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads. Everyone who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads.

Moreover, users can choose to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram and find more people who care about the same things they do.

The core accessibility features available on Instagram today, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions, are also enabled on Threads.

Meta is planning to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body responsible for the open standards that power the modern web. This would make Threads interoperable with other apps that also support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress – allowing new types of connections that are simply not possible on most social apps today.

Mark Zuckerberg yesterday announced the launch of Threads via his FB and Instagram accounts; "We are launching Threads today, an open and friendly space for conversations. Taking the best parts of Instagram experience, it lets you share what's on your mind. People who have tried out Threads absolutely loved it. I look forward to a fun journey ahead to turn this into a big and friendly community that we all want to see in the world."

Threads is now currently available in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android, inviting netizens from across the globe to embark on a new and incredible journey, and explore the new way to share with text, together.

Meta is excited to hear user's feedback as it works to build new features and introduce fun new ways to connect on the app.