A new text-based microblogging platform called Threads has been launched by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, on Thursday. The company’s new platform will compete with Twitter and is connected to its popular photo and video sharing app, Instagram. Threads is now available to everyone, and anyone can sign up and create their profile. The platform is currently not available in the European Union (EU), but it will expand its reach to users in this region in the coming months. Meta says that users will have access to all the safety tools and features available on Instagram, and accessibility features are already available for all users.
Within less than seven hours of the app going live, more than 10 million users have already signed up to use Threads, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s post. This is because Instagram has over 2.35 billion monthly users. If you have received a notification on the Instagram app that your friends have joined Threads, you will find all the necessary information about this platform here.
How to sign up for Threads on Instagram?
You can download the app from the Google Play Store or the App Store to sign up for Threads. After opening the app, you will be prompted to sign in using your Instagram account, and then your username and verification status will be stored, indicating Meta’s intention to integrate Threads with Instagram.
If you don’t have the Instagram app installed, you will need to enter your username and password to proceed. Then you can see the list of people you follow on Instagram and you can also follow them on Threads. If you click the follow button for a user who hasn’t created a profile, Threads will hold the request to follow the user until they join Threads.
Posting on Threads and character limit
As soon as you start following people on Threads, you will see posts from unknown users in your feed. Instagram’s Head Adam Mosseri said that these are recommended posts that will be shown based on Instagram’s algorithm and will help you discover new accounts to follow on the platform. Meta is also working on adding an Only-Followers feed, which will only show posts from users you follow.
According to Meta, you can post up to 500 characters on the app. This is significantly more than the default 280 characters available to users who don’t have a Twitter Blue subscription. You can cross-post them on your Instagram story as well. The company states that you can also add links, photos, and videos to your posts. Threads displays images in carousel format.
Blocking or controlling connections on Threads
Users and accounts that you have blocked on Instagram will also be blocked on Threads. The app will also provide a feature to hide replies from specific users on your posts. The ability to hide replies can be helpful for users who face targeted trolling or harassment on the platform. Threads also allows you to limit or completely disable replies and mentions from the users you follow.
You can also filter certain words from appearing in your feed. Meta also states that the community guidelines governing photo and video sharing services on Instagram will also apply to Threads.
