Is Threads really going to be the Twitter-Killer?

It’s true, there’s another player in the game, and yet another social media platform for us to get used to. And with all the controversy around Elon Musk and Twitter, it’s no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg’s new platform, Threads, is gaining traction.

There’s no denying the feud between these two rich men. Real or not, it’s obvious that both want to come out victorious. The introduction to Threads is timely, right at a time when Twitter is under a lot of fire from some of its latest changes. Just last week Twitter announced they were going to limit how much content people could view every day, sparking outrage from users. Now, only a week later, Threads made its debut.

“I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully, we will,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg.

What is Threads, and how is it different from all the others?

Is it just another social media app? Possibly. Will it fail? Maybe. Will it become the most popular? Also maybe. We’re still to see where Threads is going to go, but it’s safe to say that many Twitter haters are gleefully hoping for its demise thanks to this new platform.

Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, to share text and join public conversations. While Instagram has always been image-centred, this is more text focused and allows users to converse in a way they couldn’t on Instagram. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes. Instagram users who sign up will have a badge on their Instagram profile, but this can be easily hidden if they don’t want it. Even though the two platforms are intertwined, there are options for different privacy settings for each app and different profiles can be created. But if you’re already an Instagram user, signing up to Threads is seamless.

The company describes it as: “Instagram’s text-based conversation app where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow.”

What’s the feedback on Threads so far?

As with all new apps, especially one that has been backed by a controversial figure, there are those who love it and those who hate it. According to some, it’s still a little too basic and needs some work. But it’s early days, and considering it’s being backed by a company that’s worth billions, I’m sure it will evolve before our eyes.

So, should you get it? Well, that’s up to you. Yes, they’re taking your data, but so are most apps these days (don’t pretend you read the fine print). Right now, it’s impossible to tell where it’s going to go, but there’s no denying that it’s going to do its best to give Twitter a run for its money.

Get your popcorn out. The feud is only beginning.