Instagram has just launched Threads, a new standalone messaging app. Just like sharing Stories and messages only with the people on your Close Friends list, it allows you to focus only on those you really care about. But it’s made to help you communicate with your friends more throughout the day. Perhaps a bit too much.
Threads is a messaging app designed to share photos, videos, messages, Stories, and more only with your Close Friends list from Instagram. It’s designed with privacy in mind, so it’s only focused on the people you’re close to and those you really know. There’s a dedicated inbox just for your Close Friends list. If you still haven’t created the list on Instagram, you can do it directly from Threads when you download the app. And since you’ll only be sharing information with them, there’s really a lot of info it lets you share.
Just like with direct messaging on Instagram, you can share photos or videos directly through the app. But you can also share your current status and let your friends know what you’re up to. There are premade statuses to choose from paired with appropriate icons (Facebook has a similar option when you’re posting a status update). You can also set up a custom status with an icon of your choice. Or, you can let Instagram select your status for you. It will create it based on your location and accelerometer and let your friends know if you’re at home, in a café, or on the move. It even lets your friends know what your phone’s battery level is.
The Threads app is made with speed in mind. So, it doesn’t have a bunch of Snapchat-like filters. It’s all about making the conversation with your closest friends faster and more efficient. If you want to continue to use Instagram Direct too, keep in mind that messages from Threads will also appear in Direct. This way you have full control over how and with whom you want to interact. Also, if you don’t want to share your status even with your closest friends, you can choose not to. You can read more about Threads’ privacy here.
Personally, I don’t see why even my closest friends would want to know at all times where I am and what I’m up to. I sure don’t want to know that about them, no matter how much I care about them. But, I believe that Threads is focused more on the younger audience, and I may just be too old to understand it.
What do you think of Threads? Will you download it and use it? Or you’d rather skip it?
[via TechCrunch, image credits: Instagram]
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