What is Thread App.

Introducing Threads: 

A New App for Text Sharing and Public Conversations

Threads is an innovative app developed by the Instagram team, designed specifically for sharing text updates and participating in public discussions. By logging in with your Instagram account, you can enjoy a seamless experience in Threads. This platform allows you to post text updates of up to 500 characters, including links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long.

Our goal is to make Threads compatible with open and interoperable social networks, which we believe will shape the future of the internet. Mark Zuckerberg recently announced the initial version of Threads, which provides a separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. It caters to both creators and casual users, offering a positive and creative environment to express ideas.

Instagram has become a global hub for connecting through photos and videos. With Threads, we aim to extend Instagram's strengths to the realm of text, providing users with an outlet for self-expression. Similar to Instagram, Threads enables you to follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests, both from Instagram and beyond. Additionally, you can benefit from the existing suite of safety and user controls.

Joining Threads is simple—just log in using your Instagram account. Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, giving you the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads. For users under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries), a private profile will be automatically set up upon joining Threads. You can choose to follow the same accounts as on Instagram and discover new individuals who share your passions. Furthermore, Threads incorporates the core accessibility features found on Instagram, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.

Your Threads feed will showcase posts from the people you follow, along with recommended content from new creators you haven't come across yet. You can create posts up to 500 characters in length, encompassing links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long. Sharing a Threads post to your Instagram story or any other platform as a link is effortlessly achievable.

Tune Out the Noise

Threads has been equipped with tools to foster positive and productive conversations. You have control over who can mention or reply to your posts within the app. Similar to Instagram, you can filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words by adding them to your hidden words list. The three-dot menu enables you to unfollow, block, restrict, or report profiles on Threads. Accounts you have already blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads as well.

Safety and Security

We prioritize safety across all our products, and Threads is no exception. Instagram's Community Guidelines regarding content and interactions will be enforced within the app. Over the years, we have invested more than $16 billion in building robust teams and technologies to protect our users. Our commitment to advancing integrity efforts and community protection remains unwavering.

Compatibility with Interoperable Networks

In the near future, we plan to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This compatibility will enable Threads to interoperate with other apps supporting the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress. Such compatibility opens up new possibilities for connections that are currently unavailable on most social apps. Various platforms, including Tumblr, have expressed intentions to support the ActivityPub protocol.

We are dedicated to offering you greater control over your audience on Threads. Collaborating with ActivityPub, we aim to provide the option to stop using Threads and transfer your content to another service. Our vision is to enable people on compatible apps to follow and interact with Threads users without requiring a Threads account, and vice versa. This will usher in an era of diverse and interconnected networks. If you have a public profile on Threads, your posts will be accessible from other apps, allowing you to effortlessly reach new individuals. For private profiles, you will have the ability to approve users who want to follow you and engage with your content, mirroring the experience on Instagram.

The advantages of open social networking protocols extend beyond the ability to follow others. Developers can create innovative features and user experiences that seamlessly integrate with other open social networks. Each compatible app can establish its own community standards and content moderation policies, empowering users to choose spaces that align with their values. We believe this decentralized approach, akin to the protocols governing email and the web itself, will play a pivotal role in the future of online platforms.

Threads: A Step Forward

Threads represents Meta's first app designed to be compatible with an open social networking protocol. By joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads aims to help individuals discover their communities, regardless of the app they use.

What's Next

Today, Threads is being rolled out in over 100 countries for both iOS and Android. Users in these countries can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

In addition to our efforts in making Threads compatible with the ActivityPub protocol, we have exciting plans for introducing new features. These features will enhance your ability to discover threads and creators aligned with your interests, including improved feed recommendations and a more robust real-time search function.

We eagerly await your feedback as we continue to develop new features and introduce enjoyable ways to connect within the app.