A month after Meta launched Threads — essentially its version of Twitter (now X) — the company shared that the platform will soon be available on web. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday, August 22, the desktop version will be rolled out over the next few days.
When Threads desktop launches, users will be able to post, view their feed and interact with posts, all from desktop, the company says. Previously, users accessing Threads on desktop, users could only see profiles — you weren’t able to reshare posts.
But the Threads’ desktop experience won’t be exactly like using it on the app. Its look is slightly different — the navigation icons are at the top of the page, and to switch between the For You and Following Feeds, users have to click a button in the bottom left corner. Also, on the web version, you’ll be able to switch between a light and dark theme.
“One thing that felt odd, though, was that posting a reply to a user’s thread would pop up a box that only showed the original post and a place for you to type your reply,” TechCrunch reports of their Threads desktop experience. “This took away from the feeling that you were joining in a larger conversation.”
Also, on Threads desktop, users won’t be able to edit their profile or send a thread over to Instagram DM. Sending threads via Instagram DMs was a feature introduced to the app mid-August, likely to get more Instagram users to try Threads. TechCrunch reports the Threads team told them it’s working on making the web experience on par with the app.
When it first launched at the start of July 2023, Threads reached 100 million users in days, an impressive feat considering the app still isn’t available in the European Union. Since then, though, analytics firms told Gizmodo that its usage has plummeted. One firm reported at the start of August that Threads had lost more than 80% of its active users.
As for why Threads wasn’t initially launched with a web version, my guess is that Meta wanted to capitalise on Twitter/X’s major fumbling and get Threads to the masses — quickly. Many tech reporters predict Threads web app could help it to see a boost in engagement.
And with Twitter/X owner Elon Musk recently announcing he’s doing away with the “block” feature on the platform, which could prompt another exodus, it’s fair to say there is still hope for Threads.
Related: Will Meta’s New Threads App Be the Final Nail in Twitter’s Coffin?
Related: Hive vs. Mastodon: Which Twitter Alternative Is Your Better Fit?
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