Threads: 5 Things To Know About Twitter's Rival Application

While Twitter is in turmoil, Mark Zuckerberg's group has just launched Threads, a competing application. In just a few days, millions of users worldwide have downloaded this novelty. Attention: this application is not officially available in France yet! Here are 5 things to know about the app everyone is talking about.

She was launched by Meta to compete with Twitter.

It was on July 5, 2023 that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, launched its microblogging application called Threads. This name means "threads" in English and refers to discussion threads.

This new application, already available in 100 countries, poses as a serious competitor to Twitter, which has already been weakened since its acquisition by Elon Musk last year.

Faced with the disastrous management of Twitter by the billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg's group seized the opportunity to create its own microblogging platform and offer internet users an equivalent tool.

Even though Elon Musk is determined not to be outdone, this is the first time that internet users have a true alternative to Twitter, where they can share not only images like on Instagram but also text.

2- She presents herself as a healthier alternative.

At a time when the blue bird platform has lost many users and advertisers, a question is stirring up the web: Will Threads replace Twitter? The creation of the Meta group does not aim to revolutionize social networks but rather to offer a healthier alternative.

This novelty allows for the same type of posts as on Twitter, but in a calmer manner, and builds on the foundations that the Meta group has already established with Instagram.

However, it should be noted that Threads is not just a feature included in your Instagram account. To use it, you need to download a new app on your phone.

Nevertheless, the latest addition from the Meta group can rely on the very popular Instagram app to advertise itself and help gain new users. In fact, Instagram users can authenticate with the same credentials to post content on this new platform.

Elon Musk has good reasons to worry because Meta's microblogging app potentially targets over 2 billion active users of the image-sharing network!

3- She generates unprecedented enthusiasm.

The least we can say is that Threads has made a spectacular start. On July 10, 2023, less than a week after its launch, the app reached over 100 million users according to the website Quiver Quantitative.

For comparison, another buzz-worthy newcomer, OpenAI's artificial intelligence application ChatGPT, took 2 months to reach this number of active users...

4- Officially, it is not yet available in France or Europe.

If you're eager to discover the app everyone is talking about, you should know that Threads is officially not available in the European Union.

In concrete terms, this means that you cannot download it directly from the French App Store and Play Store. On Android, you need to install an APK file, and on iPhone, you need to create a US account to be able to download the app and then retrieve it through your French account.

The Meta group has decided to delay the launch of this new feature in the EU due to new European legislation that will require social networks to be much more transparent and will come into effect from August 2023.

This is a first version that needs to be improved.

For now, Threads is still in its V1, a first version that does not have all the functionalities of Twitter. The missing features, such as the ability to search for posts and the Edit button, should be gradually added through updates.

Once the hype dies down, the app still needs to convince its users to remain active. The next challenge for this social network is to prove its ability to retain users.

In this sector, users' curiosity doesn't necessarily translate into regular usage. After a strong start, the new application from the Meta group still has to prove itself...