Social media behemoth Meta stated that the web version of its microblogging app Threads will launch the following week as it prepares to battle rival X. Since the short-form content app’s release, the web version feature has annoyingly been absent. One of the numerous features that people have requested from Threads is the availability of a desktop version. Threads currently post on the web, but access is restricted. This is attributed to the app’s design to work on mobile devices.
The web version launch plans for Thread are still tentative and remain susceptible to change at any time. One of the reasons people left Threads, at least in comparison to X, is because of this functionality. One of the service’s main flaws, especially for business customers, is that there isn’t a functional web version of it. This is because not everyone chooses to use apps on their cell phones.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced that the business was working on integrating the feature along with improved search. On the platform, users can only look for usernames as of now. The upgrades are scheduled to roll out in a few weeks. The web version of Threads is currently undergoing internal testing, according to Threads and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri. To combat misinformation and propaganda, Threads has begun to display labels for state-controlled media organizations. In a Threads post, he stated,
We’re working on it! We’ve been using an early version internally for a week or two. Still needs some work before we can open it up to everyone though… It’s a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet. As soon as it is ready, we will share it with everybody else.
A web-based version of Threads would be a big advantage for Meta in its ongoing competition with X, according to Sam Saliba, a former global brand marketing head at Instagram who still keeps in touch with individuals at Meta. It would increase the company’s capacity for gathering information, expand its market reach, and add fresh attributes.
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The debut of Threads was an attempt to compete with social media site X. It came in time to win over some of the users upset with the modifications made by Elon Musk. The social media app was well accepted by users, surpassing 100 million monthly active users in just one week. However, it lacks key elements that would keep it alive. According to Similar Web data obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the number of threads with active users has decreased to about 10 million. The survey also revealed that, compared to its peak usage right after the introduction, Threads users now only spend 2.4 minutes a day using the app. In contrast, X gets about 363.7 million MAUs. There has been criticism that the app only offers basic content produced by brand executives and celebrities. The informal discussions and real-time responses to events at its peak made Twitter or X, feel dynamic and interesting.
The decision is timely because the site is having trouble keeping users. During an internal company town hall the month prior, Mark Zuckerberg informed his staff that user retention was better than anticipated but not ideal. According to him, the decrease in users was expected, and retention would increase as new features, like the desktop version, are implemented. Other recent updates from Meta include the option to customize post alerts for individual users and read posts in a kind of chronological feed. Additionally, they have also given users the option to utilize their Mastodon profile to confirm a link and a following tab.
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