Instagram Threads App: A New Way to Share with Text
Instagram has a history of ripping off the most well-liked functions of other social networking networks and profiting handsomely from it. A simple photo-sharing site that later incorporated Snapchat’s Stories and TikTok’s Reels gradually transformed into a social media behemoth.
The concept of microblogging on Twitter had to be addressed, and boy, did we not have to wait long for that to happen. The Instagram Threads app is precisely the kind of rival that Elon Musk’s Twitter does not currently require.
Instagram Threads App was joyfully unveiled to the public by Meta’s Adam Mosseri and Mark Zuckerberg in the early hours of July 6. With the exception of the European Union, Instagram Threads is available to everyone in more than 100 countries and, like Twitter, offers a forum for blogging on various topics.
It appears like Instagram Threads may be necessary at this time given the current scandals on Twitter. Here is everything you need to know about Twitter and Threads for Instagram in case you’re still trying to decide which side of the social media app dispute you want to support.
Instagram Threads App: Is it ‘Twitter killer’?
Instagram Threads is Meta’s vision of what Twitter could be. Threads, which was designed as a microblogging app, gives users another venue for open dialog. The ‘volatility’ of Twitter and its new owner, Elon Musk, is what Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri hope to profit from. Instagram Threads is just anticipated to be a fuss-free Twitter competitor that once again places the discourse at the center.
It can be challenging to onboard a new platform because one needs to persuade millions of users to download a new app, figure out how to use it, and participate actively in it. However, Instagram makes it simple by allowing you to easily transfer all of your Instagram profile information to your new Threads account.
A feature from Instagram that is carried over to Threads, like a verified blue badge, is now only available to well-known people and celebrities. This likely explains how the Instagram Threads app was activated 10 million times in the first seven hours of being available. There are some concerns too. Instagram Threads’ data privacy standards are, to put it mildly, dubious, which is another reason why the service is now unavailable in the European Union.
How Twitter Paved the Way for Threads?
Instagram Threads App existence is mostly due to the numerous scandals that have surrounded Twitter ever since Elon Musk purchased the company in 2022 for an estimated USD 44 billion. Musk has come under fire for making risky business decisions that frequently have an impact on how Twitter users interact with the material.
Thousands of Twitter employees lost their jobs overnight after Musk took over the company, reorganized it, and lay off a sizable portion of its workforce. Since he took charge, Musk has fired around 6,000 workers, which translates to an estimated 80% drop in employment on the social networking site.
Musk intended to increase Twitter’s profitability after the restructuring and gave users all the features they had been requesting for years but at a cost. For a monthly charge, users have had access to features like the ability to modify tweets, compose lengthy posts, receive a verified “blue” badge, and more. For verifications, organizations and government bodies have been granted various colored badges.
In a statement on the subject, Twitter said that the “blue tick,” also known as Twitter Blue, would get a user early access to a number of advantages, such as greater visibility, longer tweets, and less advertising. The choice removed the prestige from historical “blue tick” accounts by making it easy for anyone on the platform to add the badge to their account at a cost.
Twitter eventually ended up limiting the user experience for individuals who were unwilling to pay. Limited tweet viewing and a randomly selected “For You” page that displays more tweets from unidentified accounts are two recent scandals. The latter is a modification Musk made to the platform’s basic design for Twitter.
Many users did not like how TikTok’s home page and your feed would both randomly offer material from accounts you do not follow. Numerous celebrities, including Gigi Hadid, Jim Carrey, Toni Braxton, and Whoopi Goldberg, deleted their Twitter accounts as a result of the ongoing controversy.
Instagram Threads App Vs Twitter: 4 Differences
In Threads for Instagram, onboarding is simpler. Instagram Threads app handles account creation differently than Twitter, which lets you establish a brand-new account from scratch the conventional method (filling out forms and selecting a profile photo).
Currently, in order to create a Threads account, you must already have an Instagram account. The software merely transfers to your Threads account all of the personal information and preferences from your Instagram account. The only options are to change your profile photo and add a bio; otherwise, everything else is copied from Instagram.
Verification badge
Your Threads profile will also display the blue verification symbol if you already had one on Facebook or Instagram. For all three platforms, a shared verification badge will therefore function. With regard to Twitter, the verification badge is currently only available to users who pay the monthly cost and cannot be used with any other apps.
Only the app version of Instagram Threads is accessible.
Both a web browser and a mobile app can be used to access Twitter. On the other hand, Instagram Threads App is only accessible through an app on iOS and Android. Adam Mosseri, however, asserted that Instagram was developing a web version of Threads. The Instagram Threads app does not allow the use of GIFs.
GIFs are an option on Twitter for replying to photos and videos. Instagram Threads currently only supports pictures and brief videos. On our Android smartphone, we tried to test this by trying to use GIFs, but it was prohibited.
Limitations on characters
Twitter users can use up to 240 characters for free, and Twitter Blue subscribers can use up to 10,000 characters. All users on Instagram Threads are presently limited to 500 characters.
Interoperable networks
ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol that enables interoperability with other apps that use the same standard, is the foundation upon which Instagram Threads is built. Therefore, Threads will be compatible with WordPress and Mastodon, enabling fresh and simple connections. Twitter, however, does not adhere to this open standard.
Final Thoughts
Threads for Instagram pose a serious threat to Twitter’s dominance by stressing privacy and providing a more personal messaging experience. We’ll have to wait and see if Threads can entice users looking for a more personal connection or if Twitter can adjust and keep its position as the preferred medium for real-time engagement.
Less than a year has passed since Elon Musk assumed control of Twitter and made some contentious changes, such as deleting previous content moderation guidelines, changing the app’s algorithm, and getting rid of the authentication procedure in favor of a monthly subscription.
While Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk continue to train for a potential cage match that may begin today, their two businesses are already engaged in a conflict. Let’s see what miracles are yet to be shown by Instagram Threads App!
