Instagram Threads: Meta's Twitter rival sees 10 million downloads in 7 hrs

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Meta's new social media platform Threads launched as a direct competition to Elon Musk's Twitter, registered 10 million sign-ups in the first seven hours, the company's chief Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday. The platform was launched in 100 countries on Thursday morning.

"Let's do this. Welcome to Threads," Zuckerberg wrote in his first post on the app, along with a fire emoji.

He also took to Twitter, posting a well-known meme of Spiderman facing off against Spiderman - in a jab at the rivalry with Musk and between the two services.

Those quick to join the new Meta platform included celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez and prominent politicians such as Democratic US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

While Threads launched as a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram credentials and follow the same accounts, potentially making it an easy addition to existing habits for Instagram's more than 2 billion monthly active users.

In an official statement announcing the platform's launch, Meta said, "Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas."

Threads: What are the key features of the app?

• The user's feed on Threads will include threads posted by people they follow and some recommended content.
• Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
• A Threads post can be shared on one's Instagram story.
• The post can also be shared as a link on any other platform.
• The users can control who can mention them or reply within Threads.
• Like on Instagram, users can add hidden words to filter out replies to the threads.
• They can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads.
• Any accounts blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.
   

Instagram Threads: How to use Meta's new app

1. Download the app on your mobile phone
2. Use your Instagram account to log in
3. The Instagram username and verification will carry over, with an option to customize the profile
4. Everyone who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join Threads
5. You can now choose to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram and find more people
6. You can upload a text message, a thread or an image on the platform
7. Accessibility features available on Instagram like screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions, are also enabled on Threads.

Users can follow Business Standard on the Threads app at: https://www.threads.net/@business.standard

(With agency inputs)