Threads app – first look

Meta's Threads app launched earlier than expected, on Wednesday 5 July 2023. According to Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck), there were 10 million signups in the first 7 hours.

By Monday 10 July 2023, Threads had 100 million users (source: Quiver Quantitative)

Threads is not available yet in the EU. Here's what I know from my initial tests in the UK:

Is Threads a text-only app?

No. Threads supports text, images, video and carousels.

There's no native support for GIFs but you can paste them in from elsewhere.

Transparent parts of PNG images are turned black when image posts are published. (Not a fan of that at all. Transparent should mean transparent!)

Adding multiple images (up to 10) from your camera roll creates a carousel post. Carousels can include up to 10 images and more than one video.

As Threads is a mobile-first experience, portrait and square images/videos will work best.

Examples:

• Square image post
• Portrait image post
• Carousel images post
• Transparent image flattened to black

Is there a desktop version of Threads?

Not yet but you can view accounts on it.

Example: threads.net/@johnespirian

How long can bios be on Threads?

150 characters. You can import your bio from Instagram or write it out manually.

You can also include a link in your bio, which you can import from Instagram.

How long can posts be on Threads?

500 characters. Source: official Instagram

Image attachments don't count towards the character limit.

The character limit includes the length of links. Keep your URLs short!

Copying and pasting long text will auto-create multiple Threads as necessary.

Can you edit Threads once posted?

No! (Could this be an option for blue tick accounts? NEED ANSWER)

How long can videos be on Threads?

Up to 5 minutes for native uploads in the app. Source: official Instagram

Sample video (25 seconds, portrait, open captions)

Sample video (2m 52s, landscape, open captions)

You can share links to YouTube/Vimeo, but direct video uploads look better in the app.

Note: landscape (16:9) videos don't re-orient themselves when you turn your phone on its side. Boo! So, portrait (9:16) or square videos work best on Threads.

Are videos auto-captioned on Threads?

No. This accessibility feature needs to be added!

Do Threads image posts support alt text for accessibility?

Yes, as of 18 July 2023, iOS (app version 292.0) supports alt text on image posts.

You can add up to 1000 characters of alt text per image.

This accessibility feature still needs to be added on Android.

Can Threads posts be embedded on websites?

No. You can copy a link to a Threads post, but not embed it on a blog or elsewhere.

Can you advertise on Threads?

No. But this is a Meta property, so it's only a matter of time.

Are there any analytics on Threads posts?

You can see basic engagement stats: likes, replies and reposts.

You can't currently see post impressions/distribution.

Can you verify a Threads account?

You can bring over an existing blue tick from Instagram.

Meta has its own verification process. There's nothing for specifically verifying within Threads.

Deleting your Threads account – a warning

You can't delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account!

If you want to get out, don't delete your Instagram! Instead, edit your Threads account and mark it as private.

Threads search is limited

You can search for people but NOT for topics or hashtags (yet).

Searches for keywords return results only if those keywords are in the Name field of the profile. You can't edit your Name field via Threads, so this would need to be done via Instagram.

Are hashtags clickable on Threads?

Hashtags are not supported yet in Threads posts.

They appear in normal black text, not as clickable links.

Do links in posts work on Threads?

Yes, and they display thumbnail previews in usual 16:9 format.

Link trick: make your link the last item at the end of a thread (no hashtags or other text after the link), then let the thumbnail appear. Backspace to delete the link. The thumbnail will remain visible and clickable on the published thread. This is elegant – unless you want people to see the text link.

Clicking a link keeps you inside the Threads app.

Bio updates on Threads

Note that updating your profile picture, bio or link on Threads won't affect your profile picture, bio or link on Instagram.

To update other things such as your username and personal information, edit your profile on Instagram.

Is Threads available on iPad?

Sort of.

The iOS App Store says it's for iPhone only.

You can download the app on iPad but it displays as a magnified iPhone app and won't let me log in.

Can you filter words out on Threads?

Yes, Threads supports filtering of words and phrases, which means you can better curate what appears in your feed.

This is one of my favourite features from Twitter. I wish LinkedIn had this!

Does Threads have Stories?

Threads doesn't have its own Stories feature, but you can add things to your Instagram Story from Threads.

Does Threads have direct messages?

Threads has no DM feature at the moment. (That could be good for speeding up adoption of the platform.)

Stay tuned

Refresh this newsletter episode for the latest updates, as this is all brand new and I'm learning by the hour.

Update 11 July 2023: Adam Mosseri's thread says that a following feed, edit button and post search are all on the way.

Please comment if you have an experiment you'd like me to do on Threads. I'm happy to be a social media guinea-pig on this one! #EagerExperimenter

The "why" of Threads

Many people have expressed nervousness about trying Threads, given that it could be a huge time suck and because there are legitimate concerns about privacy (the app wants a lot of access to your data).

Meta are clearly making a digital land-grab here in an attempt to supplant Twitter. Lots of others have tried the same. I believe all those others will fail.

Meta are best placed to succeed with Threads because of their huge resources and the massive installed user base of Instagram users, who are able to set up a Threads presence with little effort.

As I write this, no one is an expert in Threads. That's a rare blank canvas to build a presence.

Whether investing time and energy in building a Threads presence is a good tactical move for you is a completely different matter. DM me if you want to set up a consultation to discuss your social media presence.

For my part, I'm happy to be the social media guinea-pig and see where this goes. But make no mistake: LinkedIn is and will continue to be my main gig.

Further listening

39-min podcast interview with Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram on 6 July 2023, all about Threads:

I'll keep experimenting (at least until the ads arrive …)

Thanks to the following members of the Espresso+ community for helping me build this content:

Tristan Griffiths

Eleanor Mitchiner

Louise Brogan

Mark Masters

Marianne Avery

Thanks also for contributions by:

Krista Mollion

Ahmed Ghanem

May King Tsang

PS. The Threads launch finally prompted me to run my own LinkedIn live audio room on 6 July. Great chat for an hour.