Instagram Threads, a Twitter Rival by Meta

Twitter is set to receive a competitor from Meta’s Instagram Threads on the 6th of July. The Instagram app’s App Store listing displays an iPhone-optimized version. 

META is famous for capitalizing on any chance it sees to capitalize on a fresh arrival in the market. It is not the first time that the company is launching a competitor to existing platforms. The perfect example of this was during the lockdown when Instagram introduced Reels. It became an instant hit as TikTok was getting banned in some countries due to privacy issues. Now, with Twitter’s unclear future, Instagram is set to launch Threads. A feature that will be like Twitter’s text-based threads.  Considering Twitter’s ongoing controversies, this seems like a brilliant move by Meta.

The Reason for the Introduction of Instagram Threads

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, it has seen a drop in the user base due to various issues in the company. To capitalize on this situation Instagram is ready to launch Threads. 

Last week, Twitter set temporary rate limits that block you after reading a set number of tweets in a day. It also blocked unregistered users from seeing tweets. Users were unable to browse the service throughout the weekend as a result of these adjustments. 

Meta posted a launch date teaser to the Instagram app. The search bar displays a ticket icon when you type “threads” (or any of a range of other phrases) into the search box. When you tap it, a spinning ticket with your Instagram username and a local launch time display the equivalent of 10 AM ET on the 6th. The spinning ticket also has a QR code that connects to threads.net, which appears to be the online homepage for the brand-new social media platform. 

How Does the Instagram Threads Feature Work?

Here is the app’s official, brief description as it appears on the App Store: 

“Say more with Threads – Instagram’s text-based conversation app. Threads are where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.” 

Twitter Issues & Elon Musk’s Reaction to the Launch

In addition, Twitter is abruptly implementing significant modifications to TweetDeck. This is after the program started to malfunction. The true reason behind it is speculative. But, it is likely the pressure of scrapers mining for data to feed AI models. Additionally, TweetDeck will be a paid tool soon. 

Over the holiday weekend, many Twitter users attempted to switch to Bluesky. But, it suspended new user signups for more than a day to fix problems brought on by people rushing the app.

Elon Musk responded to several tweets following the announcement of Instagram’s announcement. Some of these referred to the quantity of customer data that Threads’ App Store description on Meta claims it may gather.

The shots fired by Elon are straight after he and META CEO Mark Zuckerberg agreed on a cage fight. While that may or may not come to fruition, the META vs Twitter battle has commenced.