1) Introduction to Threads
1.1) What is Threads?
Threads is a new, innovative app developed by the Instagram team. It’s a unique platform designed for sharing text updates and engaging in public conversations. Users can log in using their Instagram accounts, and posts can include up to 500 characters, links, photos, and videos of up to 5 minutes in length.
2) The Vision of Threads
2.2) Expanding Instagram’s Reach
Instagram has always been a place where billions of people connect over photos and videos. With Threads, Instagram aims to expand its reach to text-based communication, creating a positive and creative space for users to express their ideas. Threads allows you to follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests, just like on Instagram.
3) Getting Started with Threads
3.1) Logging in with Instagram
Starting with Threads is simple. You can use your Instagram account to log in, and your Instagram username and verification will carry over. You also have the option to customise your profile specifically for Threads.
3.2) Profile Customisation
Everyone under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will have a private profile by default when they join Threads. You can choose to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram, and find more people who care about the same things you do.
3.3) Safety Measures
Threads also includes the core accessibility features available on Instagram today, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.
4) Post Length and Content
Your feed on Threads includes posts by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
4.1) Sharing Options
You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.
5) Tools for Positive Conversations
5.1) Mention and Reply Controls
Threads is built with tools to enable positive, productive conversations. You can control who can mention you or reply to you within Threads.
5.2) Content Filtering
Like on Instagram, you can add hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words.
5.3) Reporting and Blocking
You can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts you’ve blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.
6) Safety and Community Guidelines
6.1) Instagram’s Investment in Safety
Instagram takes safety seriously, and it enforces its Community Guidelines on content and interactions in the app. Since 2016, Instagram has invested more than $16 billion in building up the teams and technologies needed to protect its users.
7) Interoperability with Other Networks
7.1) The ActivityPub Protocol
Threads plans to make itself compatible with ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This would make Threads interoperable with other apps that also support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress.
7.2) Future Plans
Other platforms, including Tumblr, have shared plans to support the ActivityPub protocol in the future.
8) Control Over Your Audience
8.1) Public and Private Profiles
Threads is committed to giving you more control over your audience. If you have a public profile on Threads, your posts would be accessible from other apps, allowing you to reach new people with no added effort. If you have a private profile, you’d be able to approve users on Threads who want to follow you and interact with your content, similar to your experience on Instagram.
8.2) Interactions with Other Apps
People using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa. This ushers in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks.
10) The Future of Open Social Networking
10.1) Benefits for Developers
Open social networking protocols offer benefits beyond just following each other. Developers can build new types of features and user experiences that can easily plug into other open social networks, accelerating the pace of innovation and experimentation.
10.2) Freedom of Choice
Each compatible app can set its own community standards and content moderation policies, meaning people have the freedom to choose spaces that align with their values.
11) Threads as a Part of Meta’s Vision
Threads is Meta’s first app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol. By joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads aims to help people find their community, no matter what app they use.
12) What’s Next for Threads
12.1) Global Rollout
Threads is being rolled out today in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android, and people in those countries can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
12.2) Upcoming Features
In addition to working toward making Threads compatible with the ActivityPub protocol, soon Threads will be adding a number of new features to help you continue to discover threads and creators you’re interested in, including improved recommendations in feed and a more robust search function.
13) Conclusion
Threads is a revolutionary step forward in the world of social networking. It combines the best of Instagram with the power of text-based communication, offering a unique platform for users to connect, share, and discover. With its commitment to safety, user control, and interoperability, Threads is set to reshape the future of online interactions.
14) FAQs
What is Threads?
Threads is a new app developed by the Instagram team for sharing text updates and joining public conversations
How do I get started with Threads?
You can log in to Threads using your Instagram account. Your Instagram username and verification will carry over to Threads.
What can I post on Threads?
Posts on Threads can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
What safety measures does Threads have?
Threads includes the core accessibility features available onInstagram today, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions. You can also control who can mention you or reply to you within Threads, and add hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words.
What is the future of Threads?
Threads plans to make itself compatible with ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This would make Threads interoperable with other apps that also support the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress.
