How Meta's Threads has evolved since its debut
What's the story
Earlier this month, Meta took its social media game up a notch with Threads, its X (formerly Twitter) rival. The microblogging site arrived with much fanfare. However, it was launched with the bare minimum. The platform even lacked a 'Following' tab. Meta has finally updated the app with some new features. Let's see how the app has evolved since its debut.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Meta introduced Threads to exploit the cracks in X's microblogging fortress. The app had a dream of a first week, but things have been going downhill since then. As expected, the platform was compared to Elon Musk's X, and Threads came up short in many regards. To challenge X in the long term, Threads needs to evolve constantly.
Launch
Threads onboarded over 100mn users in the first week
Threads had an epic start. Within hours of its launch, the app onboarded over 10 million users. In the first week, it crossed the 100 million users milestone, becoming the fastest app to do so. ChatGPT, the previous record holder, did that in two months. Threads arrived at a time when the erstwhile Twitter introduced rate limits. The timing certainly helped the app.
Missing features
Threads didn't have 'Following' and 'Trending' sections
Despite the excitement surrounding the app, users were quick to notice that Threads lacked some important features. Chief among them was a 'Following' tab, where users can see content from people they follow. Threads only had an algorithm-driven tab. Threads also lacked (still does) a 'Trending' section that shows the most popular hashtags. Additionally, it didn't have (still doesn't) a web client like X.
New features
Threads finally gets a chronological feed
Many users complained about the missing 'Following' tab. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri assured people it will arrive soon. It finally has. Now, there are two tabs on Threads: 'For you' and 'Following.' Remember seeing it somewhere else? The new update also brings translation, new categories to filter the Activity feed, and a Follow button on the followers list.
Still missing
The app still needs some major improvements
Meta has been updating Threads to take advantage of Twitter's tumbles. The latest update is just one among the few things the company has added since the app's debut. However, the app still has some catching up to do. It needs an edit button, multi-account support, a web client, and the promised integration with ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol behind Mastodon, another X rival.
User engagement
Threads's user engagement has been on a decline
In the last few days, there has been a sharp decline in Threads's user engagement. Data shows it has fallen as much as 70%. Many attribute the initial spike in the app's user count to the frictionless sign-up from Instagram. The lack of X-like features has affected how people perceive Threads. Meta's heavy-handed content moderation is another factor that pushed engagement down.