Meta has announced the initial version of Threads, an app built by the Instagram team for sharing with text. The app is expected to be a rival to Twitter, which was bought by Elon Musk in October.  

 

"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," Meta said.

 

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," it said.

 

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 customise 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.

 

Your feed on Threads includes threads posted by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose. 

 

With Twitter recently limiting the number of posts users can view per day, many users on the social media app have been looking for alternatives rather than giving in and paying for Elon Musk’s ‘Blue’ subscription.

 

Ten million users signed up for Threads in its first seven hours, the company's chief Mark Zuckerberg says.

 

He pitched the app as a "friendly" rival to Twitter. Experts say Threads could attract Twitter users unhappy with recent changes to the platform.

 

Earlier, Zuckerberg said keeping the platform "friendly... will ultimately be the key to its success".