Twitter has survived many mass exoduses before, but Instagram’s new bird app rival, Threads, could be the final nail in the coffin. And that’s especially true because it launched shortly after Elon Musk announced a limit on how many users can scroll through tweets.
Meta’s new social media site has already seen 10 million signups in the first seven hours, including brands, celebrities and industry people. If you want to get in on the action or are just curious what the site is about, we’ve got you covered.
FAQs
What is Threads?
Like Bluesky, Mastodon, and Hive, Threads is a direct rival to Twitter. However, it leverages Instagram users rather than starting from scratch.
Unlike Instagram, it’s primarily a text-based app that has a scrolling feed with posts from the accounts you follow, as well as suggested accounts based on your interests.
Messages can be up to 500 characters and can contain images, GIFs, and videos up to five minutes long.
You can like, share, and reply to posts, and unfollow, mute, and report other users.
Like Twitter, there are buttons to search for accounts, create a thread, check your notifications, and access your profile.
How to sign up for Threads
It’s relatively easy to sign up for Threads (provided you already have an Instagram account). Here’s what you need to know:
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
You can download it now on iOS and Android – these links should work on your smartphone. The app might not be the first result in your app store, so search for “Threads, an Instagram app”.
- Select “Connect with Instagram”
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can switch between them with “Switch Account”. You cannot register without an Instagram account, so create one first.
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
You can import the information directly from Instagram to save time
- Choose who you want to follow
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
You can select “Track All” or skip this step altogether
- Choose whether your account is public or private
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
A public profile means anyone can see what you post and share your posts, while a private profile means only followers can see it.
- Click on “Join discussions”
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
The onboarding information will give you more information about using the app
Once you have done this, you will be redirected to the homepage feed where all the accounts you follow will be published.
Will deleting my Threads account also delete my Instagram?
If you’re hesitant to create a Threads account, here’s a warning: If you want to permanently delete your Threads account, you will also need to delete your Instagram account through the Meta control center.
We have created a dummy account for testing and can confirm this is the case. See the screenshot below directly from the app:
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
You can, however, deactivate a profile at any time, although this is temporary – you can recover your profile by logging back in. This means that your messages will not be visible, but the app will keep your data. Here’s how:
- Go to your profile in the Threads app
- Click on the two bars at the top right
- Click on ‘Account’
- Click on ‘Deactivate profile’
- Confirm your choice by selecting ‘Disable Threads Profile’
You can also read our guide on how to delete Twitter
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