Threads expands communities to 200+ topics, tests badges for active users

Meta's Threads expands its communities feature to over 200 topics and tests flairs and badges to encourage more focused discussions and reward active members on the platform

Meta’s social media platform Threads is rolling out updates to its communities feature. According to Meta, the platform is adding more topic-based spaces and testing new badges for active members. The company said that it has expanded the number of communities on Threads, making it easier for users to join conversations around shared interests.

 

Threads first introduced communities in October with over 100 topics. These included topics such as basketball, TV shows, K-pop, books and other interests. As per the company, communities were designed to give structure to conversations on such topics. Meta has stated that the platform now has over 200 communities.

 

Threads update: What’s new

Communities

 

According to a report by TechCrunch, the newly added communities include more specific topics, such as team-based groups instead of one community for an entire sport. This includes NBA team communities like Lakers Threads, Knicks Threads and Spurs Threads.

 

This move could encourage users who usually discuss niche interests on platforms like Reddit or X to spend more time on Threads instead. By offering dedicated spaces for focused discussions, Threads appears to be aiming for deeper engagement rather than just broad, timeline-based posts.

 

It should be noted that communities on Threads are public spaces created by Meta, not by users themselves. Members can join conversations around specific topics, and the groups they join will appear on their Threads profile. 

 

Flairs

 

Alongside the expansion, Threads is also testing a few new features within communities. One of them is the addition of flairs, which are small labels that appear under a user’s name. This feature is common on Reddit and helps users share a bit more about themselves. For example, someone in the NBA community can show which team they support, while a member of the books community can mention if they are a writer or reader. 

 

Badges

 

Threads is also experimenting with a “Champion” badge. This badge is meant to recognise users who are especially active and engaged within a community. The blog mentioned that these badges are being given to a limited number of users who have strong followings and regularly take part in conversations.