Meta’s app Threads, dubbed by some as a “Twitter killer,” has been launched with Mark Zuckerberg claiming over 30 million sign-ups on the first day. Twitter reportedly threatened legal action over intellectual property rights, and Elon Musk accused Meta of “cheating.”
While some are excited about the new competition, others have raised concerns about missing essential features. Users have voiced frustration over the home feed, which includes posts from people they don’t follow, making it difficult to see the content they care about most. The algorithm and lack of filtering options have been criticized, with users expressing disappointment that posts from their subscribed accounts don’t appear.
Threads currently lacks a keyword search function and support for hashtags, disappointing users who want to search for specific topics. The search feature only suggests accounts to follow rather than individual posts. The absence of a trending section, like on Twitter, has also been noted.
The app doesn’t offer direct messaging, which some see as a positive for avoiding unsolicited communication. However, others consider it a significant omission and hope it will be added in the future as Meta refines the app.
Meta’s Adam Mosseri addressed user concerns, acknowledging that features such as improved recommendations, trends, and search capabilities will be added to enhance Threads. The company aims to make quick improvements to the app.
Tech companies often release “rough” versions of their services and refine them based on user feedback. Users, like @shielddoespixel, recognize this iterative process and acknowledge that Threads has the potential to improve with further work.
Notably, Threads is closely reminiscent of Twitter in its appearance. However, one key distinction is that Threads is intrinsically linked to Meta’s widely used photo-sharing app, Instagram. This dependency on Instagram can pose a challenge for those attempting to distance themselves from the platform or for individuals who do not have an Instagram account. Starting with Threads requires an existing Instagram account, and deleting the Threads profile would also result in the deletion of the associated Instagram account.
Mark Zuckerberg celebrated the successful first day of Threads and shared a post about it. For those seeking a break, the option to temporarily deactivate the account is available. This hides the profile, threads, replies, and likes, but retains the user’s data.
Threads is closely tied to the user’s Instagram username, and it cannot be different. Changing the username requires making the change on both platforms. However, users can have a distinct bio, link, and choose whether to keep their profile private.
One notable limitation of Threads is its lack of a web app or desktop version. Posting or scrolling through the feed is only possible through the iOS or Android app. This absence of desktop functionality has drawn criticism from users who prefer using physical keyboards. However, it is still feasible to view individual users’ posts on a desktop by visiting threads.net and adding the username (e.g., threads.net/@skynews).
Currently, Twitter enjoys an advantage over Threads in terms of desktop accessibility.
Leave feedback about this