Threads: What is it, and should you be on it?

Mastodon, Post, Bluesky…Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, it feels like there’s been a steady stream of new apps promising to be the next Twitter, as safety and usability concerns mount on the platform.

So far, there hasn’t been a clear front-runner, as people have struggled with sign-up confusion and waitlists on the new apps. That is, potentially, until now: Last week, Meta released Threads, which was downloaded more than 30 million times in its first 16 hours, and appears to be the most rapidly downloaded app in history.

So what is Threads, and should you be on it?

Tell me about Threads: At first glance, it looks pretty similar to Twitter (though founder Jack Dorsey has commented that that’s pretty much been the case with every app trying to fill its shoes). Users log in with their Instagram accounts and can post up to 500 characters per Thread, plus images and videos.

Who’s on it? Probably more people than you think. The platform reportedly now has 100+ million users, according to Zuck himself, including Oprah, Kim Kardashian, and the Dalai Lama. Brand social media managers joked last week that clients were already clamoring for Thread strategies. Some users have complained that Threads may actually be too brand friendly, given companies’ presence in their feeds.

Threads doesn’t have ads (yet), but it’s working to bring Instagram’s branded content tools to the app, according to Axios, which would let brands do paid promotions with influencers. In the meantime, companies including Netflix, Rare Beauty, and Wendy’s have all started posting on the platform.

Is this the nail in the coffin for Twitter? Some data suggests Twitter usage has fallen since Threads debuted, though it’s too soon to tell whether Threads’ initial popularity has staying power. Some have pointed out that censorship on the new platform appears to be more strict than on Twitter, which brands may like but which could deter people from making the switch. People have also noted that deleting your Threads account will also delete your Instagram account, which could also make some users hesitant to try the new platform.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a Thread post that “the goal isn’t to replace Twitter,” emphasizing that Threads will not be encouraging “politics and hard news.”

Still, Twitter seems to be shaking in its boots a little: Semafor reported that the company is “threatening to sue Meta” for supposedly poaching former employees to build what it’s calling a “copycat” app. On top of that, Musk is now challenging Zuckerberg to a “literal dick measuring contest.” Maybe they’ll make time for that after their UFC cage fight.