Threads is a new app developed by Instagram which has been designed to be a text-based social media platform, built for users to share text and join public conversations.
The Threads app, released on 6th July 2023, allows users to post short text-based messages, much like it’s competitor Twitter. Twitter has been a prominent social media platform for over a decade, offering a space for users to express their thoughts and engage in conversations with a global audience through short form text.
Instagram says ‘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’.
As Threads begins to find its place in the social media landscape, we’ve explored 25 things you need to know about Threads, things you should consider within your social media strategy, and how to harness the growth opportunities it presents for your.
An introduction to Threads
- What is Threads, and what is the Threads app for?
- How do you set up a Threads account?
- How does Threads work?
- How to post on Threads
How to use Threads
- Threads character length
- Hashtags on Threads
- How to react on Threads
- Using multiple accounts on Threads
- What can posts on Threads include?
- Threads search function
- Who can use Threads?
Instagram & Threads
- Do you need an Instagram account for Threads? Is Threads linked to Instagram?
- What data is used from your Instagram account?
- Importing Instagram followers to Threads
- Deleting your Threads account
Threads content and safety
How popular is Threads?
- Time taken for social channels to reach 1 million users
- Who was the first to reach 1 million followers on Threads?
- Most followed Thread accounts
- Thread language
What to expect from Threads in the future
An introduction to Threads
1. What is Threads, and what is the Threads app for?
Threads, an Instagram-associated new app from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and Meta’s text-based rival for Twitter.
The Threads app is built for sharing short-form text and uses Instagram’s existing safety and user controls. It allows you to connect with friends and those with whom you share interests, get real-time updates and engage in discussions.
2. How do you set up a Threads account?
To set up a Threads account, you’ll need to download the “Threads, an Instagram app” from the App Store or the Google Play Store and install.
You will then need to use your Instagram account to log in. This allows your Instagram username and verification to follow you over to Threads, however you can customise your profile for Threads separately.
Threads will ask you to confirm your username, bio, link and profile information the first time you log in, which you can import from Instagram. You can choose your privacy options, allowing you to choose between a public or private profile.
You’ll then be asked to choose some accounts to follow before you click Join Threads and you are ready to start threading. You can import your following directly from your Instagram account, too.
3. How does Threads work?
Threads is an Instagram app and social media platform where you can post short pieces of text (threads), reply and engage in conversations with others and follow friends, family or profiles you are interested in.
Any thread you post will appear on your profile and in feed. You can choose who can interact with your threads through your privacy settings.
4. How to post on Threads
- To start a new thread, click tap the icon centred at the bottom of your app.
- Draft your thread, if you’d like to include photo or video, click the to attach up to 10 items, and Done (Android) or Add (iPhone) in the top right.
- To add to your thread, tap Add to thread, if you exceed the character limit another thread will be automatically generated.
- You can then choose who can reply before you post by tapping Anyone can reply in the bottom left.
- Then tap Post to publish your thread.
How to use threads
The Threads app is easy to use, and here’s what you need to know when getting started.
5. Threads character length
Thread posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos and videos (up to 5 minutes in length) and can be easily shared or reposted to your Instagram story.
6. Hashtags on threads
Hashtags are used to help make search easier on many social media platforms by placing a hashtag symbol(#) before keywords or phrases. They are used on many social platforms including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and popularised on Twitter.
When used in the Threads app appear in the feed as normal text and they are not interactive in the same way as on other social media channels.
At present Threads do not use hashtags, nor is there a function to search specific content or posts by hashtag. However, there is speculation that Threads will have hashtags in the future, as Instagram announced they will soon add a number of new features to help with discovery and search on the platform, making it easier to follow trends.
Post by @threadsappView on Threads
7. How to react on Threads
There are a number of ways you can react on threads, which include:
- Liking – clicking the heart icon to like a post or comment on a thread
- Commenting – you can comment on threads, known as a reply and choose who can respond to you when in your draft and after you post.
- Reposting – you can repost or quote a thread.
- Sharing – you can share by adding to your Instagram story or posting to your Threads feed.
8. Using multiple accounts on Threads
Threads does give you the option to have multiple accounts, however to navigate between multiple accounts users are required to log out and initiate a switch from the main login screen.
For people who have multiple accounts, such as social media marketers, the switch between multiple accounts is not as seamless as it is on Instagram. The switch will require a few taps to log in and out of different accounts, here’s how you do it:
- First make sure you have Threads account created for each of your accounts.
- Navigate to your profile page and click on the hamburger menu located at the top-right corner to access the settings.
- Within the settings, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
- Look for the option to log out and select it.
- A prompt will appear, asking you to confirm the logout from your current profile.
- After confirming, you will be redirected to the home page.
- Below the home page, you will find the option to log in with your primary profile.
- If you have multiple profiles added, click on the option to switch profiles and choose the desired profile for logging in.
9. What can posts on Threads include? –
On the Threads app you can include text and links alongside up to 10 photos or videos up to 5 minutes in length.
10. Threads search function
Since its launch, the Threads app has only allowed users to search for Threads accounts by username, unlike search functions we see on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook which allow you to search key words and phrases, helping you to find relevant information and trending topics.
However, Instagram shared details of future developments for Threads, which included new features to help you find threads and creators you’re interested in and improvements to the search function that will make it easier to follow topics and trends as part of their Threads launch announcement.
11. Who can use Threads?
Threads was rolled out on Thursday 6th July 2023 to 100 countries, available only as an app on iOS and Android. Threads is not yet available in the European Union (EU), it’s release was postponed in the EU amid regulatory concerns about how the app will use personal data and safeguard user privacy, infringing on the Digital Markets Act, which regulates the sharing of user data across multiple platforms.
The app is also not available in Iran and is blocked in China.
Post by @threadsappView on Threads
Users need to be at 12+ to create a Threads account. Meta have shared that anyone who sets up an account and are under 16 (or under 18 in some countries) will have their accounts defaulted to a private profile when they join Threads.
Instagram & Threads
12. Do you need an Instagram account for Threads? Is Threads linked to Instagram?
To create a Thread account, currently you do need to have a linked Instagram account. If you want to access Threads, you will have to sign up for Instagram first.
13. What data is used from your Instagram account?
Meta uses some of the data from your Instagram account to power your profile on the Threads App. When you create a profile on Threads, it becomes connected to the Instagram account you logged in with. This enables Meta to import your profile information, personalise your feed, and ensure your safety on both apps. Threads may also use Instagram data to personalise and enhance your experience on Instagram while promoting the safety and integrity of their services.
Data from your Instagram account which is used for Threads can include:
- Your Instagram login information
- Your Instagram account ID
- Your Instagram name and username
- Your Instagram profile information such as your profile picture, bio and links
- Your Instagram followers
- Accounts you follow on Instagram
- Your age on Instagram
14. Importing Instagram followers to Threads
Currently the Threads app does not allow you to import your Instagram followers to Threads. It does however offer your followers the option to follow you when they join Threads, offering them the option to follow all or manually select the ones you want to follow.
15. Deleting your Threads account
You can delete your Threads account, however you can’t delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account currently. The Threads app does provide an option to deactivate your Threads account which will allow you to keep your Instagram and reactivate your Threads account whenever you log back into the app in future.
To deactivate your account by accessing your profile and clicking the two lines in the top-right corner, then clicking Account and then clicking Deactivate profile, the Thread app will then ask you to confirm you want to deactivate your profile, which will temporarily hide your Threads account and your content until you decide to reactivate it.
The link between your Instagram and Threads account currently means if you delete your Threads account you will also be deleting your Instagram account. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri has provided an update and said that Meta is “looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately.”
Post by @mosseriView on Threads
You can deactivate your Threads account, which will hide your profile and content from other users. You can reverse this by reactivating your Threads account at any time by logging back in.
Threads content and safety
16. Safety features
The Threads app uses Instagram’s existing suite of safety and user controls, enforcing Instagram’s Community Guidelines on content and interactions in the app.
Threads, allows you to use safety features like blocking, reporting and hiding. Additional privacy settings have been created to help users stay safe on the app, this includes:
- Profile settings such as “Public profile” to allow anyone to interact with you, or “Private profile” to only allow interaction from people that follow you.
- Minors will have their accounts defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads.
- Hidden words which is a feature that allows you to hide replies or messages for specific words on Threads and Instagram, or you can add custom words to the list if you’re getting harassed.
Post by @mosseriView on Threads
17. What we know about the Threads algorithm (so far)
Meta haven’t shared too much about the Threads algorithm and how it decides which content we see just yet. What we do know has been shared by Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri that the algorithm does not heavily rely on ranking posts but recommends posts from random accounts, the ones you do not follow. He notes that it is important for a new app, as users need to follow enough people to get the algorithm working.
Post by @threadsappView on Threads
Currently on the Threads app, you can see content from accounts that you follow, as well as accounts you don’t. Threads also does not currently feature a chronological feed option like Facebook and Instagram, however, Mosseri shared that it is a feature that they will be bringing to Threads.
How popular is Threads?
Within the first few days of Threads being launched it’s safe to say that Threads has been a hit with over 30+ million users in the first day alone.
Post by @zuckView on Threads
The timeline of signups is as follows:
- 1 million users in 30 minutes
- 2 million users in the first 2 hours
- 5 million users in the first 4 hours
- 10 million sign ups in 7 hours
- 30 million sign ups after 24 hours
In fact, Threads has been so popular that it has been one of the quickest social media platforms to reach 1 million users:
18. Time taken to reach 1 million users:
- Netflix – 3.5 years
- Twitter – 2 years
- Facebook 10 months
- Spotify – 5 months
- Instagram – 2.5 months
- ChatGPT – 5 days
- Threads – 30 minutes
Post by @zuckView on Threads
19. Who was the first to reach 1 million followers on Threads?
According to business insider, as of Thursday morning, the official Instagram account (@instagram) was the first account on Threads to reach 1M followers.
The first person to reach 1 million followers was Mr Beast (@mrbeast), reaching 1 million followers hours after launch, according to The Guinness World Records. Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) reached 1 million followers 20 minutes later at 15:02PM.
20. Most followed Threads accounts
As of the second day after launch the top 10 most followed Threads accounts are:
| Rank | Username | Owner | Followers | Activity | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.6M | Social media platform | United States | ||
| 2 | @natgeo | National Geographic | 2.8M | Magazine | United States |
| 3 | @kimkardashian | Kim Kardashian | 2.7M | Television personality, model, and businesswoman | United States |
| 4 | @mrbeast | MrBeast | 2.7M | YouTube personality | United States |
| 5 | @shakira | Shakira | 2.2M | Musician | Colombia |
| 6 | @chrishemsworth | Chris Hemsworth | 2.1M | Actor | Australia |
| 7 | @willsmith | Will Smith | 2.1M | Actor | United States |
| 8 | @kyliejenner | Kylie Jenner | 2M | Television personality and businesswoman | United States |
| 9 | @9gag | 9GAG | 2M | Social media website | United States |
| 10 | @jlo | Jennifer Lopez | 2M | Musician and actress | United States |
What to expect from Threads in the future
Threads has had an explosive launch and a positive reception overall from it’s new users of the app. But what’s to come from the future of the app? Creators from the Thread app have hinted, along with speculations from users, of what’s to come in the future:
22. Compatibility of Threads with other apps
Threads are working towards compatibility with ActivityPub protocol established by W3C, which would make Threads interoperable with other apps that support the protocol, such as WordPress which are currently not possible on most social apps.
In their announcement, they shared that their vision is “that people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa, ushering in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks.”
23. Threads chronological timeline
Threads does not currently feature a chronological feed option, and shows content from people you follow and people you don’t alongside one another. However, head of Instagram, and one of the minds behind the creation of Threads – Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) shared that the chronological feed is something that they will be bringing to the app in the future.
Post by @mosseriView on Threads
24. Threads ALT text
The Threads app currently does not allow for alternative text (alt text) as an option for images or video on the app, which is crucial for accessibility. While screen readers are supported and AI-generated descriptions of images are enabled on the app, it doesn’t allow users to add alt text to their own images, as AI descriptions aren’t always accurate.
We do expect that this is an update which will be coming soon.
How to capitalise on the opportunity Threads presents for your business?
Capitalising on the growth opportunities presented by Threads, can be a useful strategy for businesses looking to enhance their brand visibility and engage with a wider audience.
While there is no guarantee that Threads will be a long-term success, it has seen exponential growth since its launch and continued investment in its development from Meta, Threads may prove to be a great opportunity for brands looking to grow their presence on social media.
Over the coming months, we’re likely to see a search function or the ability to see trends in Threads, which will give brands that have invested in their Threads social media strategy the opportunity to expand their reach.
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