Overall review
First of all, as this app is only a week old, here is some basic info about those less familiar with it.
Threads is a conversation-based app from Meta Platforms Inc. (Instagram, Facebook). It is supposed to be an app for voicing your opinions, you can write up to 500 characters in a post. Pictures and videos are allowed but are not the main focus. This app is supposed to be an alternative/competitor to Twitter, which became a controversial platform after Elon Mask bought it. So the concept of Threads is nothing revolutionary.
Threads is connected to your Instagram account, allowing you to use the same username and have the same followers and following lists (if these people joined threads). Your feed includes people whom you’re following and other posts recommended by the algorithm.
Comparison with Twitter:
As this is supposed to be a competitor to Twitter, it is only fair that we compare the two apps (the free versions):
As Twitter’s traffic has been declining over the past year, according to SimilarWeb, Threads might actually substitute twitter one day.
Criticism
Having used threads from the first day, I agree with the majority of the people on the internet, that this app still needs improvements. It is not bad for the first launch, however, there are some features missing, that would be beneficial.
Some of these features include:
1. You can deactivate Threads account, but you cannot delete it unless you delete your Instagram account as well. An option to disconnect your Threads account from the Instagram one would be great to have in the future.
2. There is no option to only see threads of people whom you follow. At the moment, my own home page is filled with random accounts I have never seen, mostly bloggers/influencers and brands. While this is great for the influencers and companies themselves, as their account can be discovered organically, for the user this can be off-putting at times.
3. There is no option to message someone or use hashtags. The last one is wild to me, as this is one of the first features I thought would be implemented, as your Threads account is tied with your Instagram account. The lack of direct messaging doesn’t allow me to send my friends funny memes and posts and is just another reason for me to click off this app.
Privacy concerns
One thing I need to mention is the fact that Threads is unavailable in the EU. EU recently established new regulations and data protection laws on big tech companies and Meta was recently fined due to improper data processing. It was found that Treads , just like the other Meta products is designed to track everything about its users, including health data, location, browser history and financial data to better target advertisements.
Overall, it feels like a great app tailored to influencers and accounts with a previously big following on Instagram. However, for an average user who wants to vent and listen to their friends’ opinions, it feels a bit lacking in user interface.
Text and Images by: Kate Iefremova
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