Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has officially launched Threads, a new app that aims to provide a space for real-time conversations online and potentially rival Twitter.
In a Threads post following the launch, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed the vision for the app.
“We hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind,” he expressed.
Zuckerberg further emphasized the app’s goal of fostering conversation and connection.
“The vision for Threads is to create an option and friendly public space for conversation. 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,” he said.
Threads offers a familiar layout and text-based feed, reminiscent of Twitter. Users can link their Instagram accounts, customize their profiles, and seamlessly follow the same accounts they already follow on Instagram.
Threads also allow reposting and quoting other Thread posts, while also integrating Instagram’s aesthetic and enabling the sharing of posts from Threads directly to Instagram Stories.
Verified Instagram accounts are automatically verified on Threads, and users can choose to make their accounts public or private.
The launch of Threads comes amid ongoing turmoil at Twitter, including recent outages and temporary limits on tweet reading.
Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, imposed these restrictions to combat data scraping and system manipulation.
In response to the launch of Threads, Musk made a sarcastic remark on Twitter, referencing an exclusive Earth under Zuckerberg’s control.
This sparked a heated exchange, with Zuckerberg posting a screenshot of Musk’s tweet on Instagram with the caption, “Send Me Location.”
