Threads
Threads, the Twitter competitor (alleged “killer”) is now live, and has amassed over 50 million users already, the fastest launch for any online product like this…ever.
Reportedly, while Meta has been working on Threads for a while, ever since Elon Musk’s tumultuous reign on Twitter began to unravel, Mark Zuckerberg saw the site’s rate-limiting fiasco this week and decided to pull the trigger early.
While the app is functional and looks nice, it is also missing a lot of basic features that Twitter users (or social media users in general) have come to take for granted. But head of Instagram (and now Threads) Adam Mosseri has been diligently responding with feedback, usually by saying “it’s on the list” when a new feature is requested.
So, how long is that “list” now? I went through every single Mosseri reply and found what I believe to be the full “list” as it stands now.
Editing Posts – A common request and right now a feature of only Twitter Blue, it appears this will be implemented for free on Threads.
A Following-Only, Chronological Feed – Easily the most requested feature on the app and the current biggest problem with it. Mosseri says it’s being worked on for “the next couple weeks,” but he thinks the current system of an auto-filled feed has boosted engagement instead of having it be mostly empty as you slowly follow people. But Mosseri also has cited the option to have a chronological feed on Instagram or Facebook, and that option is deeply hidden on those apps. Meta really loves controlling its content flow with algorithms, so it’s not clear how accessible it will be.
Meta
Hashtags – While I was kind of relieved to have no hashtags on Threads given how irritating they’ve become on Instagram, they are indeed being worked on.
Multiple Accounts – This will allow you to switch between multiple accounts on Threads, including those who may have a personal and business Instagram.
Desktop Version – This is probably my No. 1 request given that most of my Twitter use is done on desktop. Mosseri says they are working on a “www,” which right now is read-only. Interacting with Threads at all demands you download the app instead. I hope this is a top priority.
Proper Search Function – While you can search for people right now, you cannot search for actual posts with keywords. That is coming.
Translation Option – This will be a tool to translate threads from other languages, something Twitter currently has.
Embed Instagram Posts In A Thread – Right now the only way to do this is to copy the post link from the share feature in Instagram, which is very clunky. But given how the two sites are linked, this will be more coherent in time.
Only People You Follow Can Reply – Mosseri says this “sounds easy enough” and should be a key feature given the kinds of “positive” conversations the site is trying to cultivate.
DMs – These do not seem like a priority as Mosseri says he does not want to “add another inbox” for people. Instagram already has DMs, and obviously Facebook wants everyone to use Messenger. But it feels like this will have to exist someday.
Not a Priority: Ads – Everyone is saying things like “welp, when are the ads coming?” Mosseri maintains that ads are the last thing on their minds right now as they just want to create a service people want to use daily. He says it would be a “champagne problem” to have so many users they need to monetize them, but with 50 million users already, that is probably coming sooner rather than later, and we all know how that’s felt on Instagram and Facebook lately.
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