How is Threads different from Twitter?

Source: SK

Following months of anticipation and discreet deliberations, the eagerly awaited app, poised as Twitter’s competitor, has finally emerged. Mark Zuckerberg's long-speculated brainchild, Threads, was officially introduced on Wednesday, serving as an accompanying platform to Instagram—the beloved photo-sharing network acquired by Mr. Zuckerberg's enterprise, Meta, over a decade ago.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has introduced Threads on the app stores, and the highly anticipated Twitter challenger has arrived, bearing a remarkable resemblance to the Elon Musk owned social media platform.

What is Threads?

Threads, the latest text-based app by Meta, has arrived with a bang, generating significant buzz as the potential "Twitter Killer." Surprisingly, it was launched earlier than expected, catching many off guard.

In an increasingly competitive landscape, Threads joins a long lineage of contenders such as Bluesky and Donald Trump's Truth Social, all vying to carve out an alternative digital haven for conversations, separate from the realm of Twitter. It seeks to provide users with a fresh and distinctive space to engage and connect.

Moreover, Threads emerges less than a year after Elon Musk's controversial takeover of Twitter, during which he introduced sweeping changes that led to many questions. These changes encompassed the removal of outdated content moderation rules, subtle tweaks to the app's “For You” algorithm, the replacement of verification with a monthly subscription model, and the addition of a tweet-view rate limit.

How is Threads different from Twitter?

Threads, a robust competitor to Twitter, has made its entrance. Developed by Meta, this text-based app enables real-time composition and sharing of messages, bearing resemblance to Twitter's format.

Its arrival comes at a propitious time, as many social media users are actively seeking a reliable alternative to Twitter, which has faced challenges and perceived decline under Elon Musk's leadership. Threads introduces unique features, including a distinct character count, setting it apart from its predecessor.

• Character Limit: Threads offers users a generous 500-character count limit, providing ample space for expressing thoughts and ideas. In contrast, unverified Twitter users are confined to a maximum of 280 characters.

• Verified Instagram Accounts: Verified Instagram users can retain their prestigious blue badge on Threads, signifying authenticity and recognition. Twitter offers a similar feature at a monthly cost of $8, which also unlocks an extended character limit of 25,000. However, Meta has not introduced a comparable option at this time.

• Seamless Instagram Integration: To join Threads, users must have an existing Instagram account. During profile creation, the app offers a convenient option to import bio information and followers from their established Instagram profile, streamlining the setup process.

• Extended Video Duration: Threads empowers users, including non-verified individuals, to share videos of up to five minutes in length. Conversely, Twitter limits non-verified users to videos lasting a maximum of two minutes and 20 seconds.

• Threading Experience: Screenshots circulating online reveal that starting a thread on Threads requires pressing the enter key three times, while Twitter streamlines the process with a simple click on the plus button.

• Likes Visibility: Unlike Twitter, Threads does not currently provide a separate tab for viewing other profiles' likes, as indicated by the screenshots.

• Content Rules and Controls: Threads adheres to the same content rules as Instagram, providing users with familiar controls for muting and blocking accounts engaged in harassment or inappropriate behavior.

• Built on ActivityPub Protocol: Threads distinguishes itself by being built on the ActivityPub social-networking protocol, shared by platforms like Mastodon and other decentralized social-media apps. This opens up the possibility for Threads users to interact with a broader community beyond Instagram, expanding their reach.

• Ad-Free Experience: Threads launches without advertisements, aiming to generate excitement and offer users an uninterrupted experience, as reported by Bloomberg.