Meta couldn’t have picked a better time to launch its own version of Twitter. Dissatisfaction with Elon Musk’s social media service is at an all-time high after Twitter started limiting the number of tweets that users could see over the weekend. People are desperate for a fresh platform to take Twitter’s place, and that’s exactly what Meta hopes to do with Threads.
Meta’s Instagram spinoff was initially set to launch on Thursday, but its countdown timer skipped forward a few hours on Wednesday, and the app is now available to download. Now we can see whether or not Threads stands a chance of toppling Twitter.
If you want to download Threads on your phone or tablet, it is currently available for free on iOS on the App Store as well as on Android via the Google Play store. Here’s how Meta describes the text-based conversation app:
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” says a description from Instagram on Apple’s App Store. “Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
If you have an Instagram account, you can log in with the same username and password. You can also choose to follow all of the same accounts you already follow on Instagram, given that they have signed up for Threads as well. Once you’re in, you can start posting, replying, liking other posts, and sharing links to Threads on other platforms.
Before you download, be aware that Threads collects about as much of your data as it possibly can. Here is all of the data the Threads app may collect from your device:
If all that’s not enough to scare you off, enjoy Instagram’s Twitter rival. On the other hand, if you aren’t interested in giving Meta even more of your personal data, there are several other Twitter alternatives to choose from, including Bluesky, Mastodon, and Post.
