8 Frequently asked questions about the Threads app

If you haven’t heard, the new Threads app from Meta is the fastest growing platform in the world! Launched on July 5, 2023, it surpassed ChatGPT’s update by attracting 100 million users within the first week. It took ChatGPT one month to reach that milestone.

What is Threads?

Threads is a text-based app similar to Twitter. You create “threads” of conversation that can be up to five hundred characters long and can include images, videos, or external links. These conversations can be re-threaded (shared), liked, or commented on by followers and followers’ followers.

According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, Threads aims to focus on light subjects like sports, music, fashion, and design. That isn’t to say that news and politics are not present. The vibe, however, tends to be lighter than is often seen on Twitter.

While users can engage with one another by replying to and liking threads, this platform doesn’t currently offer the ability to direct message, use hashtags, or access via your desktop.

There are no ads

One thing that early adopters are loving is the fact that this is an ad-free space and with minimal spam bots.

Meta Founder, Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would only think about monetization once there was a clear path to one billion users.

How to you get a Threads account?

To open a Threads account currently you must have an Instagram account.

If you do, go open the hamburger on the right of your account’s profile page. Just below the settings link, is the Threads invitation. Once you click on the text, you will be prompted to download the Threads app. After the app is loaded, you will be able to access the platform with your existing username. You will also be able to continue to follow the same followers as you did on Instagram. If they are not yet on Threads, you will be notified once they join.

Meta has stated that once they begin working with Activity Pub, the platform will be available to users without Instagram accounts.

How private is my data if I open a Threads account?

According to Threads’ privacy policy, the app as the potential to access financial info, personal info, photos, location, contacts, and search history, among other data.

If you already have Facebook or Instagram, remember that this new app falls under the larger privacy policy covering Meta’s social media platforms. You can read the full policy here.

Any person who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads.

Is the Threads app available in all countries?

No. At the moment the Threads app is available in one hundred countries including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada, and Japan. It is currently not available in the European Union due to regulatory uncertainty.

Can I close a Threads account?

Yes, you can close your account with the Threads app, but in doing so you will have to also delete your Instagram. This will change when they begin integration with Activity Pub.

If you would like to stop using your Threads account without losing Instagram, you can delete all your Threads and then deactivate your profile. It will not close your account, but you will no longer be seen on or receive information from the app.

How can it help my business?

Threads is a social platform. It is a fresh, new way to begin to connect with people. Because this is text based, you don’t have to create reels, videos, or fabulous images to be successful.

Threads allow you to share bits of your personality in words. You can create “threads” of conversations with strangers of similar interests. As they get to know you and what you are about, they will also begin to understand what your business is about. These new connections can then generate leads for your business in an authentic and organic way.  

Will this app last?

Some journalists have compared Threads to Google+ which was created to rival Facebook but was scrapped. Others suggest that lawsuits threatened by Twitter owner, Elon Musk for unlawfully using Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property by hiring former Twitter employees to create a “copycat” app could cause the app to fail.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has stated that “The real test is not if we can build up a lot of hype, but if you all find enough value in the app to keep using it over time.”

We cannot predict the future. As of July 101, 2023, there were reportedly 107 million Thread users as compared to 350 million active Twitter users.

Early adopters, like myself, are enjoying a new space free from ads and spam bots. The honest interactions and lack of spammy sales pitches is refreshing and fun.

Can this Eutopia last? I think it will be up to the people on the app and Meta to decide.