Mark Zuckerberg just announced the initial version of Threads, an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text. Whether you’re a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet.
Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond. And you can use our existing suite of safety and user controls.
Join the Conversation from Instagram
It’s easy to get started with Threads: simply use your Instagram account to log in. Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads.
Everyone who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads. You can choose to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram, and find more people who care about the same things you 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 known for cloning features offered by rival platforms in its pursuit of growth, most notably when it created “Instagram Stories” — a copycat of the disappearing vertical video clips first popularised by smaller competitor Snap.
Meta has more recently created a short-form video format, similar to that of ByteDance-owned TikTok, called Reels. But Threads’ particular advantage is its link to Instagram, which allows users to bring across their existing usernames and followers from the photo app, enabling them to instantly have a network.
Some users said that helped to bring the site alive as soon as they signed up, avoiding the “cold start” problem for new social platforms. Unlike early Twitter, which displayed all tweets chronologically, Threads has launched with an algorithmic timeline, giving priority to posts with more engagement and occasionally showing those from people that a user does not already follow.
Threads appears to have few, if any, paid ads at launch, although several brands have leapt on to the new platform. Meta is not initially launching the app in the EU, its second-largest market by revenue, because of uncertainty around new regulations in the bloc.
The move heightens the rivalry between two of Silicon Valley’s most prominent billionaires. Last month, Musk wrote on his platform that he was “up for a cage match” with Zuckerberg, who has recently rebranded himself as a ju-jitsu aficionado. Zuckerberg appeared to accept the challenge.
It is unclear if and when the contest will take place. In a statement on Wednesday, Meta said it planned for Threads to be compatible with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium. This would mean that users would in the future be able to transfer the followings and content that they have on Threads across to other apps built on the ActivityPub protocol, which include Mastodon and WordPress.
“Threads is Meta’s first app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol — we hope that by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use,” Meta said.
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