Attention
Twitter’s supremacy is again under siege from Threads, Meta’s newest creation. With Elon Musk’s controversial reign over Twitter and the platform’s growing instability, Threads has emerged as a strong contender, amassing a staggering 30 million users in just one day.
But can it truly kill the beloved bird app? Let’s dive in to find out.
Interest
Threads have burst onto the scene, with an impressive 30 million users signing up within 24 hours of its launch. As Meta’s brainchild, it boasts the backing of Facebook’s parent company, giving it a massive advantage over other Twitter competitors.
With the current dissatisfaction over Twitter’s continuous changes and Musk’s influence, Threads has reached the perfect moment to disrupt the text-based social media hierarchy potentially.
So, let’s explore the unique features and challenges Threads faces on its quest to become the ultimate “Twitter killer.”
Desire
What makes Threads similar to Twitter & how is it different from other apps?
Meta is excited about Threads, a new platform for chatting in real-time, similar to Twitter. It’s connected to Instagram, but it looks and feels like Twitter.
You can like, repost, reply, or quote threads, and the number of likes and replies is shown below each post.
Accounts can be public or private.
The app is simple, yet it’s attracting many users.
So, what sets Threads apart from other Twitter alternatives like Mastodon, Hive Social, and Blue Sky?
Two things – data and scale.
Meta already has over 3 billion users on its other apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This makes it easy for existing users to join Threads with their bio, username, photo, and follow list.
Threads have gained a massive following, with 30 million people signing up quickly, including celebrities and big brands. It’s even being hailed as the potential “Twitter killer” with its growing popularity and buzz on social media.
Can Threads recreate Twitter’s role as the public square?
Zuckerberg wants Threads to be a friendly and successful platform. He believes Twitter didn’t do well because it lacked friendliness. However, some experts argue that Zuckerberg has tried similar strategies with limited success.
Threads’ biggest challenge might be its connection to the Meta brand. Some users may feel uncomfortable if everyone they know is on the platform, making them hesitant to post freely. Younger people don’t want to censor themselves on social media when their relatives, colleagues, and high school classmates are all there.
To succeed, Threads must balance being user-friendly and offering a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves without constant scrutiny.
Action
The difference between Threads & Twitter
Availability
Twitter started as a website and later became available as an app on smartphones. In contrast, Threads is currently only available as a mobile app on iOS and Android. Meta seems to follow the same playbook as Instagram, making Threads a mobile-exclusive experience. It’s unclear if a website version will be released anytime soon.
Twitter vs. Threads Features
When it comes to functionality, Twitter is far ahead of Threads. Twitter offers a discovery page, a following page, hashtags, and direct messaging, which Threads currently lacks. However,
Threads are still very new, and with the substantial resources behind Meta, more features are likely to be added. The competition between Twitter and Threads might not be over just yet.
Account Sync
You can log in on Twitter using various options like email, phone number, or username. However, Threads is closely synced with Instagram. You can only log in to Threads using your Instagram account and vice versa. Deleting Threads means deleting your Instagram account as well, as they are interconnected.
Multimedia Posts
Twitter and Threads allow users to post website links, videos, and images. GIFs can be posted on both platforms, but on Threads, you must save the GIF to your camera roll first. Threads lets you share more images and videos in a single post compared to Twitter, which has a limit of four items per tweet. Threads’ multi-item posts are similar to carousel posts on Instagram.
Text Limit & Feed Curation
While Twitter once had a 140-character limit (now extended to 280), Threads has a fixed limit of 500 characters. Threads lack in-app messaging, unlike Twitter, which allows private conversations.
Moreover, Threads doesn’t support searching beyond usernames and accounts, and hashtags don’t work in this “diverse” part. Threads’ feed shows posts from everyone, regardless of whether you follow them, while Twitter offers curated feeds based on user preferences or following.
Price and Verification
Under Elon Musk’s leadership, Twitter introduced a subscription program called Twitter Blue that offers benefits like extra word count, no ads, and the coveted blue tick for verified accounts.
Meta followed suit with Instagram, offering verification as a service, but Threads only inherits the blue tick from Instagram. Both platforms charge around 799 per month for these features.
Meta vs. Twitter Ownership
Threads is a product of Meta, which owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram. While Threads might be a departure from Twitter’s issues, Meta hasn’t been flawless in protecting user data.
The Threads privacy policy has faced criticism for similar tracking behavior found on Facebook and Instagram. On the other hand, Twitter isn’t perfect either, but it’s been found to track less data than its competitors, as seen in data safety features on app stores.
What would it take for a new app to beat out Twitter truly?
Threads is facing unique challenges in the market. Concerns about data privacy have delayed its launch in Europe and made headlines in the U.S. Its financial stability is uncertain, with layoffs at Meta and investments in other ventures by Zuckerberg.
Threads currently don’t show ads, but that might change if it gains a billion users. Many apps are competing for Twitter’s spot. Threads aim to be part of the “diverse,” a group of apps with similar communication rules, which might appeal to creators and influential users.
Threads is still new and lacks some features compared to Twitter. Meta will keep adding and improving Threads to make it a complete alternative.
Conclusion
