Your guide to Threads – everything you need to know

Threads, a new social media platform, made its debut in the early hours of Thursday and has already attracted over 10 million users within the first seven hours, according to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta.

In a post on the app, using the username “zuck” and accompanied by a “mind blown” emoji, Mr Zuckerberg announced the impressive sign-up numbers.

This launch comes at a time when Twitter is undergoing significant changes under the ownership of Elon Musk, such as the removal of verified legacy accounts and updates to the Tweetdeck dashboard application. As a result, users may be inclined to explore Meta’s latest offering.

To shed light on the new app, here are some answers to some of the most common questions users may have about Threads.

What is Threads?

Threads is a social media app that shares similarities with Twitter, focusing on text-based posts.

Users can share up to 500 characters of text, along with videos of up to five minutes in length, links, and pictures.

How do you sign up?

To join Threads, users can download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store onto their Android or iOS devices.

Existing Instagram account holders can use their login details to sign in to the app. Before starting to post, users have the option to choose between a private or public profile.

How is the app similar to Twitter?

Visually, Threads bears resemblance to Twitter, featuring options to post, quote a thread, search, like, reply to posts, and view activity related to your own posts.

This activity view is similar to Twitter’s notifications. The app adopts a column-based design, allowing users to scroll vertically to view other users’ posts.

Additionally, Threads offers a verification feature, currently granting a blue verified tick to accounts already verified on Instagram.

How does the app differ from Twitter?

While Threads shares similarities with Twitter, it also has its distinct features. At the moment, Threads does not provide a direct messaging option between users, and there is no desktop version available.

Other features exclusive to Twitter include lists, bookmarks, and the ability to join communities. Threads also does not appear to utilise hashtags extensively, and searching for specific words and phrases posted by users seems to be limited compared to Twitter’s search capabilities.

Are there any security or privacy concerns?

There have been concerns raised about the app’s use of personal data. Reports suggest that Threads did not launch in the European Union (EU) on Thursday due to these concerns and the implementation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The specific details of how the app utilises user data remain uncertain.

Critics, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have pointed out potential risks associated with the app’s launch. Mr Dorsey posted: “All your Threads are belong to us,” alongside a widely shared screenshot of the privacy section for Threads on the App Store. The screenshot suggests the app may collect data such as financial information, contacts, and browsing history. Elon Musk, the current owner of Twitter, simply responded to Dorsey’s tweet with the word “Yeah.”

What have social media users been saying about the app?

Celebrities have already started flocking to Threads, with singer Shakira posting: “Well hello Threads.” Chef Gordon Ramsay humorously asked: “Is this where I find the lamb sauce??” Businessman Richard Branson wrote: “Thready, steady, go.”

Other users have expressed their hopes for the new app or their relief at having an alternative social media platform to use instead of Twitter.

One user shared a cartoon image of a mythical creature in a yoga pose, captioned: “How it feels not being on Twitter for three seconds.”

However, on Twitter itself, many users seemed unimpressed by the new app. One tweet with over 1,000 likes stated users were quickly “running back to Twitter” after trying Threads “for five minutes.”

This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Express.co.uk’s editorial research. A news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to readercomplaints@reachplc.com.