Twitter alternatives — new and old — have found audiences willing to try out a newer social networks since Elon Musk took over the company in 2022. Mastodon, Bluesky, Spill and T2 are some of the social media platforms people are among them. So is Meta's Threads platform.
What is Threads? How do you create an account?
Threads is Meta’s text-based Twitter rival. It is tied to your Instagram account, so you can create an account by logging in using your Instagram credentials.
How is it different from Twitter?
Currently, there are no paid tiers and ads on the app. However, your verification mark from Instagram is carried over — even if you have paid for Meta Verified. Users can take advantage of their Instagram network to find people to follow.
The app launched more than a year ago, but it doesn’t have Twitter-like features such as long video, direct messages, or live audio rooms.
How do you use Threads?
The platform is currently available on iOS and Android in more than 100 countries. However, due to privacy concerns, the app was not currently available in the EU until December 2023. At that time, Meta launched Threads in the region with an option for users to browse the social network without an account sans the ability to publish or interact with other posts.
Because you are logging in through your Instagram account, you will be able to follow all folks that you follow. You will also import your username, name, and settings, like block list.
How many users does this thing have?
As of November 2024, Threads has more than 275 million monthly active users.
It's been a steady ramp-up. Within hours of launch, Threads crossed the mark of 10 million sign-ups and it reached 100 million users within just five days of launch.
What are the limitations of posting on Threads?
Users can post 500 characters in one post on the app. The post supports images, videos and GIFs. A Thread post supports up to 10 media items. As of July 17, Threads announced that it has to tighten up on rate limits, or limits on how may posts users can view, due to spam attacks.
Can you use Threads on the web?
Yes, you can view posts and also publish from Threads.net.
How do you delete your Threads account?
You can deactivate or delete your Threads account. Until the end of 2023, you had to delete your Instagram account, according to Meta’s “Supplemental Privacy Policy” to delete your Threads account. Meta keeps your data for 30 days after the initial deletion request. If you change your mind, you can cancel deletion within 30 days.
How can you customize your Threads experience?
Threads allows you to pin search terms and tags as feeds. The company is also testing a way to create custom feeds by adding specific profiles and terms to a new feed. For the longest time, the social network's own algorithmic "For You" feed was the default feed for users, but now you can set any feed to default.