Meta’s New App: Is Threads App Displacing Twitter?

Social media giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, recently unveiled its new app called Threads, similar to the Twitter app. And people are loving it.

Launching officially on July 6, the app garnered millions of users in just a matter of hours. It is currently looking highly probable that Threads could displace the blue bird in the field of microblogging and sharing real-time information in the near future.

What is Threads App?

As Meta describes it, Threads is Instagram’s “text-based conversation app.” Like Twitter, Threads is a social media app that allows users to post messages, respond to other users, and like or repost messages. Developed by the Instagram team, it also comes with an integration that allows you to connect to your Instagram. You can carry over your username, bio, and profile picture and you have the choice to automatically follow everyone on threads that you already follow on Instagram.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his plans to build a “public conversations app” with over one billion users, promising to make it “a friendly place.”

The Threads App Launch

One day before it was officially launched, the app was briefly available on the web for people to get a feel of it. And soon after, popular influencers and politicians began to join causing everyone else to follow suit.

Recently the app hit 100 million active users, surpassing Chat GPT as the fastest-growing app in history. As Twitter traffic has begun to decline.

Why Are People Rushing to Meta’s Threads App?

Now Twitter’s users were declining before Threads came on the scene. According to Matthew Prince, Cloudflare’s chief executive, Twitter’s popularity has been hoping down since Elon Musk purchased the social network late last year, with a steep decline beginning in July when Mark Zuckerberg decided to dip his toes yet again into the microblogging world.

Twitter users complained of regular app crashes, usability struggles and CEO Elon Musk’s erratic behavior.

According to a report on Similarweb, in the first two full days that Threads was generally available, web traffic to Twitter was down 5% compared with the same days of the previous week. They also reported a decline in user retention calling it a “bad sign for app user loyalty”.

It is only natural for dissatisfied users to move to a new app that has the same features and allows people to move easily with their Instagram followers. Another one of the key features of Threads is that it also focuses on creating a safer space for users, something Twitter has drastically slacked on.

However, the Threads app is far from perfect yet. As is the case with new apps often, there are some glitches.

Pros and Cons of The Threads App

Threads has a slightly longer character limit than Twitter’s, at 500. You can attach photos and longer videos. Users can also limit replies on their thread to only their followers, or people they’ve tagged in the post.

But there is no direct messaging aka DMs feature and Hashtags are also missing. Threads pulls in posts from all users like Instagram, not just those you follow so finding posts of the people you follow might be a bit challenging.

Is Threads Displacing Twitter?

So the question still remains, is threads going to displace Twitter? And the answer is undecided. It is too early to tell. One potential challenge for Threads is to keep building a critical mass of active users. The success of Threads will depend on Meta’s ability to improve its user-friendly interface.

Threads has the potential to disrupt the microblogging space, but dethroning Twitter will be no easy feat. With its emphasis on privacy and integration with Meta’s existing ecosystem, Threads offers a unique value proposition. However, it needs to overcome Twitter’s strong foothold, build an active user base, and address content moderation challenges effectively. Only time will tell if Threads can truly compete with Twitter and carve out its own niche in the fast-paced world of microblogging.

All images are sourced from twitter