Facebook-Owned Instagram Launches New Messenger Called Threads

by Kay Lee

Threads is a camera-first messaging app launched by Facebook from Instagram with an intention to let you keep in touch with your closest and dearest ones.

Basically, Threads is a complementary app for Instagram designed by Facebook with speed and privacy. The app will be available both for Android and iPhone.

Being a standalone app, though, Threads allows you to instantly share everything from photos, videos, and Stories to texts and messages, even the disappearing ones, with your close friends list. As it is known, last year, Instagram introduced a new feature – a close friends list where you can add people you share your stories with the most. If you don’t have such list yet, it will be no problem for you to create one after downloading Threads. Yet, you will still be able to message users in both Threads and Direct Messages.

The three main features that are worthy of note are:

1. The camera

Camera is a default screen as you open Threads. Here you can quickly make photos or videos and send them directly to your friends without using any filters. Another key feature is adding shortcuts for close friends you interact with the most. The shortcuts may be seen at the bottom of the camera screen.

2. The inbox

The Threads inbox can be described as a shorter version of your Direct on Instagram except that it’s limited to your close friends. It can include group chats, too, but only in case everyone involved is in your close friends list.

3. The status screen

You can choose your status from the suggested ones, create your own or turn on Auto status. It shares information on your current location without showing your coordinates. The status will only be visible to your close friends. The fact that you control sharing your status and people you do it with is strongly emphasized.

"People are interested for sure in more private sharing," said an eMarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg. "Whether or not they want an app from Instagram and from Facebook that does more of this remains a question."