Meta Launches ‘Threads’ App as a Competitor to Twitter

On Wednesday, Meta launched Threads, a new “conversation app” that is anticipated to directly challenge Twitter in the market.

According to a spokesperson, Threads managed to accumulate over 10 million sign-ups, including numerous celebrities. Among those to sign up for the app reportedly included: Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Gordon Ramsay, Tom Brady, and Coldplay.

Threads was launched after Twitter CEO Elon Musk imposed limits on the number of tweets users could view daily. A countdown on a website led up to the Wednesday launch, and Threads was described as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app” on the Apple App Store.

“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” the app listing said.

“Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite 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.”

Users will have the capability to publish Threads posts with a maximum length of 500 characters. Although the app primarily focuses on text, individuals will also be able to share links, photos, and videos that can extend up to 5 minutes.

Additionally, Instagram users will be able to share their Threads posts through the app’s story feature, as well as on “any other platform of their choice.”

Threads was created “with tools to enable positive, productive conversations,” and people will be able to manage who is mentioning or replying to them within the app.

“Like on Instagram, you can add hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words,” the post said. “You can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts you’ve blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.”