Facebook and Instagram owner Meta debuted its Twitter-like messaging app Threads with the aim of capitalizing on the turmoil at the social platform under billionaire owner Elon Musk.
On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of Meta, announced the official launch of Threads, the company’s new text-focused messaging app.
With Threads, Meta hopes to regain the throngs of users who have abandoned Twitter in protest of Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX.
The Threads app is now available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play online store in over 100 countries, excluding the European Union, pending the conclusion of negotiations between Meta and regulators regarding the app’s data sharing with Instagram.
Threads was created by Meta “with tools to enable positive, productive conversations,” and users will have control over who mentions and replies to them from within the app.
“Like on Instagram, you can add hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words,” the blog post said. “You can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts you’ve blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.”
