Is Instagram Threads app free? Exploring features and potential rivals of Meta's new social media platform
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA: Instagram's parent company, Meta, recently unveiled Threads, a text-based conversation app touted as a potential rival to Twitter. With the ability to sign in using your Instagram credentials and preserve your usernames, followers, and verification status, Threads offers an alternative social media experience. Today, we delve into the details of the new app, including how to join the platform and its key features.
What is Instagram Threads?
Threads, developed by Meta's Instagram team, is a platform that allows users to publish short posts or updates of up to 500 characters. You can include links, photos, or videos up to 5 minutes long. The app is seamlessly linked to your Instagram account, enabling you to easily share Threads posts to your Instagram story or as a link on other platforms of your choice. The feed on Threads consists of posts from people and accounts you follow on Instagram or Threads, along with personalized recommendations for undiscovered content. Additionally, the platform provides features like content filtering and the ability to restrict mentions from specific users.
Is Instagram Threads App Free?
Yes, Threads is free to use and can be downloaded from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. To join Threads, you need an existing Instagram account as the platform requires you to sign in using your Instagram login credentials. Upon launching the app, your Instagram username will be automatically transferred to Threads. While users can create a customizable profile, it's worth noting that UK users under the age of 18 will receive a default private profile. Moreover, you can effortlessly follow the same accounts you already follow on Instagram, allowing you to seamlessly port over your existing following instead of starting from scratch on Threads. When creating a post or "Thread," you can select the intended audience, whether it's your followers or the entire world.
Threads offers a range of features familiar to Twitter and Instagram users. These include the ability to unfollow, report, block, or restrict profiles. These features can be accessed through the three-dot drop-down menu, and blocking a profile on Instagram will automatically block it on Threads as well. Other notable features of Threads include support for screen readers and AI-generated image descriptions. Meta is also actively working on making Threads compatible and integrative with other apps that support the ActivityPub protocol, such as WordPress and Mastodon. Ultimately, the company envisions Threads posts being accessible to anyone with a compatible app, regardless of whether they have a Threads account.
Threads vs Twitter
Competition between Meta and Twitter is intensifying, extending beyond the sensational rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Threads' integration with Instagram gives it a significant advantage, as it can attract users rapidly. While Musk has introduced limitations on the number of tweets users can read per day on Twitter, potentially resulting in a decline in subscribers and advertisers, Threads presents an alternative option for dissatisfied social media users.
However, Threads has also faced criticism. Forrester analyst Mike Proulx suggested that Meta is capitalizing on the current wave of dissatisfaction with Twitter. "While credit should be given to Meta's steadfast test and learn strategy, the company doesn't exactly have a successful track record launching standalone apps outside its core family," Proulx told CNET, referring to apps like Slingshot and IGTV. Furthermore, he observed that the market is saturated with Twitter alternatives like Bluesky, Mastodon, and Hive, leading to fragmentation among users seeking alternatives. That said, the launch of Threads in the European Union has reportedly been delayed due to concerns surrounding data sharing between the two apps, per CNET.