How does Threads work? The Twitter of Instagram

In July we talked in this blog about Threads after its launch, the Meta application that reached 50 million users 24 hours after its launch. Five months later, it has arrived in the European Union and specifically (what interests us) in Spain. Below, we explain how Threads works and what are the challenges and latent doubts regarding this new app.

This platform that took on tycoon Elon Musk and had amazing download numbers, but went up so fast, it went down just as fast.

Daily active users on Android OS mobiles dropped from about 49 million to just 23 million between July 7 and July 14, according to Similarweb. And the time subscribers spent daily on the app fell from 21 minutes to 6 minutes in the same period in the United States.

Let’s remember that Threads was activated just after the last controversial decision of the billionaire: limiting the number of messages that each user can see per day. So the launch marketing was a success, but it has not managed to maintain the fame.

So how does Threads work?

We have immersed ourselves in this new platform to tell you all the details you need to know. On the first day that it was possible to enter Threads, many influencer profiles celebrated being able to interact with their followers in a more direct and free way.

Once we saw Instagram stories filling up with shared Threads posts, we jumped in without thinking.

The first thing it makes clear to you is that users in the European Union will have to choose between creating a Threads profile from their Instagram account or using it without linking it. But the user who selects the second option will have fewer resources than the first: they will be able to view Threads content, search for accounts, share content through links or the platform itself, but they will not be able to interact with the content.

Once you decide what kind of user you want to be, the functioning of threads is very similar to that of Twitter, with some similarities to TikTok. For example: it has two timelines: “following” and “for you”, sections we have become accustomed to thanks to the video platform.

You can make posts of up to 500 characters in which you can include images and videos and interact with other users’ posts through replies, reposts and likes.

Why it’s a problem that Threads is linked to Instagram.

To access the new social network, you must first be registered on Instagram and log in with the same account, and previously you could not even delete your Threads profile without also deleting your Instagram profile. In fact, this was one of the issues that clashed with EU legislation, but the company has already recently decided to relax that aspect a bit and allow managing Threads accounts more independently, although for the time being it is still linked to Instagram.

This linking can be a problem for users who have several active accounts on their Instagram channel. That is, for companies that carry services from other clients, such as communication and marketing agencies.

The solution to this issue is to log out of the accounts and log back in. A quick login as provided by Instagram has not been created. This resolution we have not seen that it can be done in a simple way. So we figure what we guessed in July: Instagram content creators will be the ones to open the way for Threads but hate will be the one to close the thread this new way of communication.

Towards a new era

The launch of Threads in the European Union not only marks Meta’s geographic expansion into the messaging market, but also raises intriguing questions about the future of digital interactions.

Knowing already how Threads works, questions arise such as: How will it influence the way we inform and communicate, what opportunities and challenges will arise as the application becomes integrated into the daily lives of users, will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter, will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter, will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter, will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter, will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter, and will there be a competition between Threads and Twitter?

In summary, the launch of Threads in the European Union is not only a significant event for Meta, but also a milestone in the evolution of social networking.

As users download the app en masse, it opens a door to new ways of communicating and connecting. This exciting chapter promises to not only change the way we communicate online, but also how content creators have seen a new space to advertise.