Threads Vs Twitter: App War

Meta’s Threads is now facing challenges in drawing users to its platform. Threads had been positioned as a potential “Twitter killer,” capitalizing on the growing frustration of numerous Twitter users seeking alternatives due to the changes implemented by Elon Musk. However, sustaining the initial momentum has proved to be a struggle for the platform.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s rumored cage fight is still under discussion, but their virtual battle has already kicked off. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, introduced Threads, a new app designed to rival Twitter. It is now accessible to iOS and Android users worldwide.

Zuckerberg drew inspiration from Twitter while creating Threads, but the app requires some improvements to convince users to switch from Twitter, which pioneered this social media space.

Key differences between Threads and Twitter

Threads offer a significant advantage with its simple sign-in process. Unlike Twitter, you can sign in using your Instagram account. This allows you to follow the same people from Instagram and more, without the need to manually add details like your username, bio, or display picture. It saves a lot of time and hassle for users.

Threads outperform Twitter in terms of character limits. While Twitter offers a 280-character limit per tweet, Threads extends it to 500 characters. Moreover, Twitter restricts users to include only four items like website links, videos, and images per tweet. In contrast, Threads allows you to share up to 10 items in a single post.

One significant advantage of Threads is the absence of ads, although they might be introduced in the future when the app reaches 1 billion users, according to the Instagram CEO. Additionally, Threads offers a feature that allows users to restrict other accounts on the platform.

When an account is restricted, you won’t receive notifications from that account, and the account holder won’t be able to reply, comment, repost, or quote your post. This sits somewhere between blocking and unfollowing on other platforms. In comparison, Twitter provides options to either mute an account or block them completely.

Threads are completely free to use, similar to Instagram. On the other hand, Twitter offers a premium service called Twitter Blue, which costs up to Rs 799 per month and grants access to exclusive features.

Although Threads has many positive aspects, being a new app, it still has some rough edges. Notably, you can’t send direct messages to other users directly on Threads; you have to go back to Instagram for that.

Furthermore, Threads lacks hashtags, unlike Twitter, which has a thriving trending section allowing users to explore popular topics across different genres and regions easily. Threads, however, only present a random selection of posts from various users, without a specific trending section.

Unlike Twitter’s premium subscription, Threads does not offer an edit option for posts.

Despite being new, Threads has received an overwhelming response from users worldwide, with 5 million downloads in just 4 hours after its launch. The app’s largest user base is in India, accounting for 33% of global downloads.

The boss of Instagram and Threads, Adam Mosseri, has clearly stated that the new social media platform has no interest in getting involved in politics or sharing hard news. This stance has led to questions about the kind of audience Threads aims to cater to. Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, also brought up this issue when responding to a tweet on July 8th, stating that he never wished for more comments on Instagram pictures.

In addition, Threads is planning to implement a rate limit on posts to discourage spam accounts. This decision comes after Elon Musk’s earlier announcement of a temporary limit on the number of posts that could be viewed in a day, which caused frustration among many Twitter users just days before Threads’ launch.