Meta-owned Threads’ initial surge in users and the hype it brought along with it has now died down. However, execs at the company aren’t necessarily worried.
Late last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Threads’ user retention was “not perfect,” but new features coming to the platform should stop the bleeding.
A few of these new features are now live on Threads, as shared by Zuckerberg.
For starters, Threads has added the ability to share Threads posts with your Instagram friends through Instagram DMs. This should help with bringing over users from one platform to the other. To use the feature, you simply tap the paper airplane icon on any post and select the Instagram option.
Another feature is the option to add custom alt text to photos and videos that users include in their posts. Alt text is essentially a description of the content that can be read by screen readers for people who are visually impaired, making platforms more inclusive and accessible. For reference, X (Twitter) has long had the feature.
To use the new feature, simply initiate a new Threads post and add a photo or video. You should see a small ‘Alt’ icon on the bottom left. Tap on it and enter a description of the visual content.
The third feature is a new ‘mention button’ that lets users easily mention someone’s account in their Thread. To mention someone in your thread, initiate a new post and type “@” followed by the user’s name. Alternatively, you can also choose users from suggested dropdowns.
While the new updates are sure to improve the quality of interactions at Threads, they aren’t unique. These features are common in other social media apps, and if the platform wants to rightfully claim the Twitter-killer title, it’ll have to do a lot more. A good start would be to offer a web client.
Source: @Zuck
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