Instagram Threads gets more Twitter-like features in new update: Details

Besides the translation feature and follows tab in activity feed, the update addresses various bug and reduces the app's binary size

Instagram Threads, a Twitter alternative that social media giant Meta launched two weeks ago, gets new features, including translations and a follows tab in activity feed.

Cameron Roth, a software engineer for Instagram, shared a Threads post on Tuesday, announcing changes to the app as part of an iOS update.

The follows tab is said to make it easier for people to see who is following them. Users will also be able to access a translate button to read text in other languages and more easily read posts from people they do not follow, said Roth adding the iOS update includes some software bug fixes and loading improvements.

Threads was an instant success for Meta, which reported a record 100 million sign-ups in only five days, prompting defensive responses from Twitter founder Elon Musk and new CEO Linda Yaccarino.

However, data from Sensor Tower and Similarweb revealed that the service's growth and engagement levels dropped the following week.

Advertisers said that they hope Threads will include more features like chronological feeds and the ability to search for hashtags, which will allow them to create better ad campaigns.

Roth explained the update in a separate Threads post on Tuesday, saying that users "may need to restart your app to see some of these or otherwise wait until the end of the day!"

“We use a system of server-delivered flags which can take a while to fully release,” he wrote.