Facebook has introduced Threads, a standalone messaging app that helps users stay connected with ‘Close Friends’ in a dedicated, private space on Instagram. Threads opens directly to the camera app and allows users to add shortcuts, which essentially means that users can share content using two taps. Threads has already started rolling out globally.
‘Threads is a standalone app designed with privacy, speed, and your close connections in mind. You can share photos, videos, messages, Stories, and more with your Instagram close friends list. You are in control of who can reach you on Threads, and you can customise the experience around the people who matter most,’ Robby Stein, Director of Product, Instagram, said in a blog post.
Last year, Instagram released Close Friends – a feature that allows users to make a list of a select group of people with whom they want to share personal moments. Threads is basically an extension of this feature, and it will allow users to connect only with close friends. If a user installs Threads, the messages from users’ close friends list will appear in both Threads and Direct.
So apparently, Threads will clear the clutter and will only show messages from close friends. This means that users will have a dedicated inbox and notifications just for them. Further, if you don’t have a close-friends list set up yet, you can make one directly from Threads.
Additionally, the company has also created status in the app to connect with close friends ‘especially when you don’t have the time to send a photo or have a conversation.’ Users can choose from a suggested status or create their own. There is an option to turn on Auto Status, which automatically shares ‘little bits of context on where you are without giving away your coordinates.’
