Description
Threads is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app is intended to work adjacent to Instagram: users need to have an Instagram account to sign up and are required to use the same handle. Widely viewed as a direct competitor to Twitter, Threads users are able to post text and images, reply to posts by others, or like posts.
Following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, Meta employees discussed extending the rollout of Instagram Notes, a forthcoming text-based feature to Instagram. Employees also discussed a separate text-focused app.
Development on Threads began in January 2023, then internally known as "Project 92". Information on Threads was released in March, and The Verge published details of an internal company-wide meeting in June. Details emerged about Threads in July, and Meta Platforms published the app to the Apple App Store on July 3 with a release date of July 6. Threads officially launched on July 5 in 100 countries, excluding the European Union.
