Threads, a messaging app for users' Close Friends on Instagram is reportedly shifting the focus from Close Friends and making it inclusive for all Instagram messages.
Chats with close friends from Instagram will still be prioritized, but the updates being worked on will enable users to access all Instagram messages on Threads.
Status will only be visible to close friends, and chats will be categorized into two separate tabs, 'Close Friends' & 'Everyone Else'.
Threads was initially launched as an extension to the close friends feature, and allows users to share more than just private Stories. But with this update, it is deviating from its core functionality.
Users might not go for an additional app when the functionality is already in-built with Direct in the Instagram app. Especially when Messenger and Instagram have just been integrated.
Features from Messenger like replying to a specific message, forwarding a message, and customizable chat colors and themes, would be available on Instagram now. Users will be able to use custom emoji reactions, and soon, message effects.
With more features such as messaging and video calls, initiated by either of the apps to connect with family and friends across Instagram and Messenger, Threads' relevance decreases.
Currently, with a rating of 3.6 and only a million-plus downloads on Play Store, Threads has not taken off since its launch in late 2019, and with the shift from its core functionality, it is unlikely to resonate with the users.
Screenshot Credits: Jane Manchun Wong
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