Meta is all set to launch its Twitter killer, Threads, available now for pre-download on the iOS App Store, with a release date of July 6 for iOS and Android.
Meta’s answer to Twitter’s dwindling relevance, Threads, is set to launch on July 6. A webpage for the service is now live with a launch countdown and a QR code that redirects to the app’s download links. The app is now available to pre-download on the iOS App Store, while the QR code directing to the Android link is coming soon.
Screenshots of the app on the App Store show that Threads will enable you to automatically follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram, with the option to follow individual Thread accounts too.
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” reads the app’s description.
The interface is not unlike Instagram’s feed but focuses on text and threaded conversations a la Twitter instead of Instagram’s focus on photos. Users can choose who can reply to their posts, ranging from anyone on the Threads platform to the profiles they follow or only users mentioned in the post, with the end goal of having an experience that closely mimics a pre-Elon Musk-owned Twitter.
Previously, it was revealed that Threads could integrate with the decentralized ActivityPub protocol, which could potentially allow users to transfer their accounts and followers to platforms such as Mastodon. That could prove helpful given that many users who have already left Twitter have flocked to Mastodon in its place.
Meta’s timing for a Twitter-like alternative couldn’t be better, as the Musk-operated platform has undergone several changes over the past few months that have proven unpopular with users, including an overhaul to the platform’s verification process and a heavily-imposed limit on the number of tweets users can read.
