Is Threads really going to be the next social media juggernaut?

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith is a Gen Z culture reporter for Stuff.

ANALYSIS: There’s a new social media platform in town – and it wants you to get off Twitter.

On Thursday, Mark Zuckerbeg’s Meta released the social media app Threads in more than 100 countries, with the promise of providing the next best text-based platform as Twitter’s end seemingly draws ever closer.

Threads is already proving to be the latest juggernaut of the social media world, with more than 10 million downloads in the first seven hours of its launch – but does it live up to the hype?

What’s it like?

Currently only available in app form, Threads allows users to login using their pre-existing Instagram details. Your profile will automatically be loaded with an option to import your Instagram followers and profile details, such as your profile picture and bio.

Once you’re in, you’re met with an already busy newsfeed that works more like TikTok’s For You Page than Twitter’s earlier chronological timeline. Don’t be surprised – Meta have a habit of replicating TikTok’s features.

You’ll see threads from the accounts you follow, but your feed will also be flooded with an influx of posts from random profiles the algorithm is only guessing you’ll enjoy. I was served content from sports pages, travel accounts, micro-influencers with blue ticks and smaller profiles of strangers across the globe debating the best rap album.

Suffice to say, the app can feel overwhelming right from the get-go, but Threads’ user interface is clean, succinct and, with enough fiddling, you will likely be able to get the hang of Threads easy enough.

A simplified blend between Instagram and Twitter’s timelines, Threads’ crisp cleanliness can be hard to enjoy for those who like a more visually stimulating social media experience. It would be nice to see Threads introduce an option for users to add a display colour to their profile for personalisation, like Tumblr and Twitter.

The posting experience

Using Stuff’s Threads account as my guinea pig, I tried my hand at making threads to understand the posting experience and how interactions with other profiles work.

The constant inundation of posts from random profiles can either be seen as an opportunity for open conversations, or it can send an introvert running for the hills.

Right now, the app is dominated by influencers, organisations and your Average Joes. You’re more likely to see thinly-veiled advertisements from a business page, than the thoughts of big-name celebrities like Taylor Swift and Rihanna (both of whom have yet to make their Threads debut).

The conversations being held on Threads range from the hyper-optimistic, many musing the app could finally provide a safe space in the world of microblogging and a reminder of the golden days of Twitter, while others weren’t so sure how long the platform could stay free from trolls and extremists.

There are a few missing features that might catch out younger digital natives, like this reporter: there is no built-in tab to post GIFs immediately, so you’ll need to go old-school and download one from Giphy or another source. It took me far longer than I’d like to admit just to post one GIF of Taylor Swift.

Unlike Twitter, there’s no feature akin to Trending Topics, you can’t post embeds or send direct messages and the use of hashtags hasn’t been enabled – yet.

Threads might be smart to go a step further in copying TikTok’s features by introducing separate pages between posts from accounts you follow, and posts fed to you by the algorithm, like Twitter’s current setup.

The app also doesn’t give users an option to edit their posts, so make sure you proofread what you write.

Is it worth it?

It could be the rush of something new that has everyone talking – remember when BeReal was meant to be the next big thing? – but Threads could well go the distance.

The app has the advantage of having a profile automatically loaded for you with followers and following lists set up as well, meaning finding an audience and friends on the platform is easier than starting from scratch somewhere else.

Despite being in the world for only a couple of days, more than 30 million users have already signed-up to the platform. If you’re already aboard Meta’s mothership, you may as well give Threads a go.

Twitter executive chairman and agent of chaos Elon Musk has implemented a number of controversial features since buying the social media platform out in late 2022, including a fee for verified accounts and daily reading limits. These changes, as well as Musk’s persona, have left many of Twitter’s longtime users soured.

However, the lack of important features also makes Threads feel like a demo that was released too soon and Meta’s rush to lure in Twitter’s jaded ex-users might just prove to be a Catch-22.

If Threads is looking for longevity, Meta will need to work fast to provide the important features they’re currently missing to keep users happy and provide a well-rounded experience.

The next phase of the Meta’s internet takeover, Threads will be here to stay – regardless of whether the hype lives or dies – only time can tell if the app proves to be the last nail in Twitter’s coffin.