Meta Confirms That Its Twitter-Like ‘Threads’ App Will Be Launched This Week

It’s happening.

After months of speculation, and hints of what’s to come back, Meta has finally confirmed that its recent Twitter-like social app, called ‘Threads’, can be launched globally this week.

Well not quite globally. As a result of increased data privacy protections within the EU, Threads won’t immediately be available to European users. But for everyone else, you’ll give you the chance to begin constructing your Threads following from Thursday US time, when the brand new app becomes available for download within the respective App Store.

Which is a key focus for Meta, in growing the brand new app. If Zuck and Co. really need to scoop up as many Twitter cast-offs as possible, they’ll need good reason to lure them across, which is why they’re making a concerted effort to get high-profile users posting to the app as soon as, and as much as possible.

In keeping with Business Insider, a spread of high-profile users have already been sent an on-boarding guide, which advises them to post to Threads twice a day, not less than, as a way to get accustomed to the brand new app. 

The guide also notes that everybody who joins Threads will get a number indicating after they signed up, and as such, low numbers could carry a level of social clout, while it also suggests that users share their posts to Instagram Stories to advertise the app.

Instagram has reportedly reached out to a spread of big-name stars, including Oprah and the Dalai Lama (?) about posting to the app, together with online influencers like Gary Vaynerchuk, in an effort to generate early buzz for the platform.

And that may work. While many users can be hesitant to depart Twitter for one more beta platform, if those who you ought to hear from start posting there, you’ll probably download the app, simply to see what they should say. That curiosity could then result in you checking back in additional often, which is able to then result in you posting your personal thoughts, and embedding the app into your regular social media rotation.

It’s a greater approach to approach the take-up challenge than other Twitter alternatives have adopted to date – and really, it’s only since it’s coming from Meta that it’s capable of make such a high-profile pitch. Celebrities would likely be unmoved by an unknown app getting in contact, however the increased likelihood of this one becoming a thing will see lots of them sign-up, in any case, and try it out early on, which could possibly be the critical growth momentum that it needs.

And it’s, essentially, Twitter under a unique name.

Though I remain surprised that they’ve gone with ‘Threads’ because the app name, provided that Meta already launched and canned an app called ‘Threads’ just two years ago.

That app was more focused on DM groups, so it was loads different. However it just seems cursed, haunted by the failures of apps past.

In any event, Threads is coming, and Meta’s making a giant, flashy push to advertise the app, in an effort to steal a few of Twitter’s thunder, as more Twitter users begin to query whether or not they need to keep participating in Elon’s own social experiment.

Will it’s the Twitter killer? I’m still skeptical that it might take all of Twitter’s thunder – but when there ever was a chance, the time is now, and if any company could do it, it will be the Zuckerberg juggernaut.

Meta’s done it before – it principally halted Snapchat’s growth momentum with the launch of Instagram Stories back in 2016, which forced Snap’s team back to the drafting board, and set their strategy back years.

Snapchat is now back to growth, however it’s taken a while for the platform to re-establish its area of interest, while Stories have continued to grow on Instagram and Facebook.

Perhaps that could possibly be Twitter’s fate too. Perhaps, this isn’t the Twitter killer as such, but as many advertisers search for a brand new home, Threads, if it gains momentum, could quickly grow to be relevant, squeezing Twitter even further, and forcing it to reassess its offering.

Perhaps it won’t kill Twitter, however it has one of the best probability to vary the Twitter 2.0 roadmap, which could potentially shrink the scope of Elon’s world domination plans.

P.S. You possibly can access your Threads profile code early by typing ‘threads’, ‘P92’, ‘saymore’, ‘ticket’ or ‘1992’ into the Instagram search bar (in the most recent version of the app), then tapping on the ticket icon that appears at the precise of the search field.