Instagram Threads First Impressions: What makes this Twitter-clone different

Twitter has long been our source of fast information, entertainment, and the best memes. We followed content and topics that interested us, trusted the verified accounts we followed, and found a community to fit in. Then, Elon Musk took over, and what followed has been nothing short of watching a car crash in slow motion.

Some time back we first heard rumours about a Meta-powered Twitter rival in the works, and after months of development, Threads is finally here. If you were a fan of the old Twitter, you’ve probably been waiting for the app too. So, does Threads do Twitter better than Twitter? Read on to find out.

Threads is a self-aware Twitter clone

Threads is at its core, meant to be just like Twitter. While that is visible in the app right from the homescreen, you also have more subtle hints. Like Mark Zuckerberg taking to Twitter for the first time since 2012 to post the Spider-Man pointing meme. This wasn’t meant to be a fresh take on microblogging, and that is partly why the app is being received very well on day one.

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Zuckerberg proudly announced that over 5 million users signed up on Threads in the first four hours of the app going live, a number that would has no doubt gone up by the time you’re reading this piece. A link with Instagram does play a part here, and so does Threads’ minimal learning curve.

Once you get past the initial setup screens, you’re greeted with an interface that doesn’t feel very different from the blue bird nest you’re used to. The like button is still heart-shaped, there are reposts instead of retweets and quote reposting is also present. Most threads have text limited to 500 characters, but you can also add up to 10 photos or GIFs. Videos are capped at five minutes.

This is still Instagram’s app

I initially wondered why the app was called named ‘Threads, an Instagram app’, and didn’t have Meta mentioned anywhere. But five minutes into using the platform, all my questions were answered.

Threads is closely chained to Instagram. You must have an Instagram profile to sign up, you must stick to your Instagram username, and the setup process makes sure the accounts you follow on Instagram are the first accounts you follow here as well.

There’s also a shortcut to Instagram on the Profile page, while diving deeper into account and privacy settings options will sometimes automatically take you to Instagram. There’s also no way to delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account as well.

Thankfully, Instagram’s Stories and Reels are not here yet, and we hope things stay that way. With the large number of users quickly jumping on the platform, users will be looking forward to a better Twitter, and not a second Instagram.

Improvements needed

Nobody expected the new platform to be perfect on day one, and unsurprisingly, it isn’t. There is still no use of hashtags (or any alternative approach to it), making it impossible to search for specific words, phrases, and hence, topics. Plus, if you got used to the extra features Twitter offered, like Spaces, none of that is here.

Threads also lacks its own verification mechanism, and currently, the only blue ticks you see on the platform are from Instagram. Unfortunately, this also includes users subscribed to Meta Verified, Meta’s own take on paid verification. With more users getting on the platform by the minute, these issues will need to be worked on.

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There is also no section on the home tab that lets you stick to seeing content only from the accounts you follow. As a result, early users like me ended up seeing a lot of random threads from users I didn’t know at all. These elements are likely to be addressed moving forward, and if Instagram’s update cycle is an indication of what to expect, Threads may also be regularly updated to add features or fix existing elements.

The app will soon be a part of ActivityPub as well, an open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This means Threads will be interoperable in the future with other ActivityPub tools like Mastodon and WordPress.

Why Threads could finally kill Twitter

Unlike other Twitter alternatives, one of Threads’ biggest advantages is a semi-ready user-base. Early adopters need not ask their followers to also hop on Threads, because Instagram will do that for them. Plus, you can automatically follow users you follow on Instagram on Threads before they even join the new app.

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This close relationship with an already popular app, which can almost be called an ecosystem is one of the biggest perks Threads has to offer. The app isn’t feature-rich (for now), but it already has most people you want to interact with, while others will likely join sooner or later. On top of that, Threads has the one thing Twitter doesn’t right now, which is a sense of stability, a far cry from the unpredictable experience that is Twitter right now.

If you want to try Threads on your smartphone, you can head to the App Store on iOS or the Play Store on Android. The app is apparently being made available in phases, so, if you can’t immediately spot it, try again after a few hours and you should find the app.