Threads has 50 Million new signups in 1 day; took Twitter 2 years to reach that total

bnew

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Mark Zuckerberg delivers on promise to pour 'gasoline' on Threads growth as the platform regains users while X shrinks​

Kali Hays

Oct 20, 2023, 1:53 PM EDT

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves after the Tech for Good Summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 23, 2018.

LUDOVIC MARIN
  • After an initial wave of downloads, Meta's new app Threads struggled to retain users.
  • With new features, millions of people are using the app again. It's gained 260 million downloads.
  • Meanwhile, usage of X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to decline significantly.
Mark Zuckerberg is making good on his promise to accelerate the use of Threads.

After setting the record for most downloads of a new app, Threads struggled to retain a small fraction of those users on the platform, many of whom were looking for a like-for-like replacement of X, formerly known as Twitter.
Built quickly on the back of Instagram's tech by just 15 engineers to compete with Twitter, as that app's usefulness and popularity waned under Elon Musk's chaotic changes, Threads was initially bare bones. The Meta CEO insisted in July that the app was not in its final form. "I'm highly confident that we're gonna be able to pour enough gasoline on this to help it grow," Zuckerberg said.

Since then, Threads has rolled out a host of major new features, including a web version, keyword search, voice posts, and the ability to edit posts, even as it avoids promoting news. Smaller things, too, like being able to follow updates in individual threads at the tap of a bell icon, a way to mass follow people mentioned in a post, and even tag people's Instagram accounts, are now available.

As the app has matured quickly in recent weeks, users have started to return and downloads have continued to rise. So far in October, Threads has hovered around 33 million daily active users and 120 million monthly active users, according to data from Apptopia, up from about 25 million daily users and 100 million monthly users in July. An initial drop in usage found by SensorTower, where 78% of people who downloaded Threads stopped using the app, has shrunk to a 28% drop. Since the app launched on July 6, it's been downloaded 260 million times, Apptopia data shows, with downloads in September almost double the downloads in August.

Meanwhile, usage of Twitter, or X, continues to decline. Daily active users of the app have fallen 12 percent since July, according to Apptopia, while downloads are down 28%. Usage and downloads of X are down significantly in nearly every country where the app currently operates, and web traffic has fallen 15% in the US alone.

Although the entire team working on Threads remains small by Meta standards, around 50 people, the company was surprised by the interest in the app and "really wants it to work," an employee said.

To that end, Threads is now being integrated to an extent with Facebook and Instagram, two of the most popular apps in the world. There is a direct link to Threads on each user's Instagram page, a post on Threads can be sent in Instagram DMs, and as of this week, Threads is being promoted within the Instagram app feed via a small carousel of select posts under the header "Threads for you." That same recommended Threads carousel is also appearing in Facebook feeds. Threads was made a part of Instagram's October anniversary celebration in New York where the company invited creators to a day of panels on how to best use the platforms. Free merch included apparel featuring the Threads logo.

"A big thank you to everyone who's made Instagram and Threads what they are today," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, wrote on Threads about the event.

A Meta spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment.

More Threads features are said to be on the way, like polls. One of the biggest changes for Threads, however, will be when the platform starts to monetize. Two people familiar with the company's advertising business said the expectation is for Threads to be an option in the Meta Business Suite, the company's ads and business platform, early next year.

This week, cyber security analyst Jorge Caballero found within the app's code several new additions related to ads and paid partnerships, which are key for creators to highlight when a product they're posting about is an advertisement.

Should the momentum keep building and create a new place for Meta to gain advertising revenue, "Threads has the potential to be another major platform for META," Angelo Zino, a senior analyst at CFRA, said.
 

Anerdyblackguy

Gotta learn how to kill a nikka from the inside
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This Israel-Palestine war has benefited Threads greatly. I noticed it as well with all these new users.

Even Adam Schefter and Woj are reporting more consistently on threads now after abandoning it earlier
 

bnew

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This Israel-Palestine war has benefited Threads greatly. I noticed it as well with all these new users.

Even Adam Schefter and Woj are reporting more consistently on threads now after abandoning it earlier

everytime i checkout threads i can't help but admire the HD video and high quality images on the site. publishers and artists should be taking advantage of that.
 

bnew

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THREADS

Meta given 30 days to cease using the name Threads by company that trademarked it 11 years ago​

"This is a classic David and Goliath battle"​

By Rob Thubron October 30, 2023 at 10:16 AM
Meta given 30 days to cease using the name Threads by company that trademarked it 11 years ago

TechSpot is celebrating its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.

What just happened? In what is another case of a tiny company suing an internet giant for allegedly using a trademarked name, a British software firm has told Meta it's got 30 days to stop using the term Threads for its latest social media platform in the UK as it owns the trademark.

Threads Software Limited says its lawyers have informed Meta that it will seek an injunction from the courts if the Facebook parent keeps using the name Threads after the 30-day deadline passes.

Threads is a cloud-based intelligent message hub that captures, transcribes, and organizes all of a company's digital messages, emails, and phone calls into one easily searchable database. It is provided by Threads Software Limited, and was conceived and trademarked in 2012 by JPY Ltd.

The Threads service has been actively promoted worldwide since 2014, and following the first commercial sale in the US in 2018, JPY Ltd spun off a new company, Threads Software Ltd. According to the press release, it has since licensed nearly 1,000 organizations worldwide with sales currently growing at 200% a year.

It appears that Meta was aware of Threads before launching its platform of the same name. Company lawyers made four offers to purchase the domain 'threads.app' from Threads Software Ltd from April 2023, all of which were declined. Meta announced Threads in July 2023, the same time that the British company says it was removed from Facebook.

2023-07-05-image.png

"Taking on a US$150 billion company is not an easy decision for us to make. We have invested 10 years in our platform, establishing a recognized brand in the name, Threads. Our business now faces a serious threat from one of the largest technology companies in the world," said Dr John Yardley, Managing Director of Threads Software Ltd. "We recognize that this is a classic 'David and Goliath' battle with Meta. And whilst they may think they can use whatever name they want, that does not give them the right to use the Threads brand name."

Like X, which is being sued by a company that has the same name, Threads (or Thread) is one of those terms used by several organizations. These include the football platform Thread and a Slack-style platform called Threads from a San Francisco startup. In a less related area, there is also a harrowing 1984 British film called Threads about the aftermath of a nuclear war that traumatized many who saw it.

Meta's Threads enjoyed a lot of success in its post-launch period, attracting 100 million users in just five days. But it was revealed a few weeks later that user engagement had fallen 70% and the average time spent using Threads' Android and iOS apps slipped from 19 minutes a day to just four minutes. Despite the waning interest, new features and Instagram integration were added in August.

Meta has also faced copyright infringement claims since it rebranded from Facebook in 2021. The change led to a company called MetaX, launching a trademark lawsuit last year.
 

bnew

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Move Over Twitter, Threads is Going Fediverse​

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Dec 13, 2023 · 2 mins read


In a surprise announcement, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared that Threads, the company’s Twitter-competitor app, will soon become interoperable with the fediverse via decentralized protocols. This means Threads content and profiles will be viewable on Mastodon and other ActivityPub-based social platforms.

“Making Threads interoperable will give people more choice over how they interact and it will help content reach more people. I’m pretty optimistic about this,” said Zuckerberg.

For those thinking “fedi-whatsit?”, here’s a quick explainer. The fediverse refers to a collection of independent, decentralized social media servers. Together, they facilitate open access and data portability across platforms. Power comes from the collective, not a centralized authority like Meta.

By tapping into the fediverse, Threads plugs into a network of millions of users across thousands of servers. It divides Meta’s dominance and lets users decide where and how to engage. Of course, Meta still profits from all the Threads activity, so maybe it’s not feeling too altruistic.

Understandably, some fediverse mods aren’t thrilled by a Meta invasion. But most see it as a step toward data liberation from walled gardens. Users get more control over their content rather than being locked in Zuckerberg’s kingdom.

For now, Mastodon users can follow Threads profiles but not vice versa. It’s a start, and the plan is for full interoperability. Back in August, Threads also added Mastodon profile verification. Slowly but surely, Meta is decentralizing Threads.



What Does This Mean for You?​

As a Threads user, your content and profile may suddenly gain a whole new audience on the fediverse. Mastodon alone has millions of monthly users. This unlocks serious exposure potential.

Your posts made on Threads could end up displayed to a indie bookshop owner in Edinburgh or a goat farmer in Peru - not the usual crowd for polished, blue-checkmarked metaverse citizens. But it does expand horizons.

You also gain more control over your data. If you ever leave Threads, your content comes with you and remains visible. Things you share, like photos and comments won’t disappear into a Meta void. Portability is freedom.

For Meta, embracing federation signals they are serious about decentralization and open ecosystems. They see the backlash against data exploitation and loss of privacy. The fediverse aligns incentives around user needs, not profit.

Maybe Meta is changing its ways or just paying lip service; the coming months will tell. Butconnecting Threads to the fediverse is a trailblazing move, no matter the motivation.



Other Fediverse Platforms to Watch​

Threads will exchange ActivityPub data with Mastodon first but that’s just one fediverse server. The concept transcends individual platforms. Other notable fediverse apps include:


  • PeerTube: Video sharing alternative to YouTube
  • PixelFed: Photo feed and galleries, like Instagram
  • Friendica: Facebook-style profiles and timelines
  • Lemmy: An alternative to Reddit hosted in various places.

Notice that I did not mention Hive or Steemit, which are simply frontends to single blockchain backends.

In time, Threads could integrate with many or all of these. For now it’s Mastodon, but the possibilities span gaming, events, messaging, video - anything communication-related.

As they say, the fediverse is the limit. This initial bridging from Threads is only the beginning as the next era of social interaction takes shape.
 

bnew

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glad u called him out. dude posts threads media updates like a bot:unimpressed:

I follow tech news and I barely post about the platform compared to how many articles are written about it. I share news i think are significant or informative. :manny:
 
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