Meta introduces topic tags, reply controls, & video updates to Threads

Meta has announced a series of updates to its social media platform Threads, introducing profile topic tags, enhanced post control options, a revamped video interface, and other improvements aimed at increasing engagement.

Users can now add topic tags to their profiles, highlighting areas of interest. These tags will be displayed below a user’s bio and, when clicked, will show relevant discussions. The move is part of the platform’s strategy to enhance user connections and increase profile follows, addressing challenges in audience-building on the platform.

The platform has also updated its topic tagging feature for posts. The platform will now prompt users to add trending or personalised topic tags while composing posts. According to Meta, internal data suggests that posts with topic tags receive higher visibility than those without.

Additionally, Threads has expanded its reply control settings, allowing users to restrict replies and quote posts to followers only. This builds upon the introduction of quote controls in November 2024, offering more options for managing interactions and improving user safety.

In another significant change, Meta is phasing political content back into Threads, following its earlier decision to limit such discussions. The company stated that civic content will now be integrated in a more personalised manner, a move that could make Threads more relevant in real-time discussions, particularly around political events.

Users will also have more control over their feeds, with the ability to customise the order of their timelines, including setting a personalised feed as the default view upon opening the app. This update is expected to enhance community engagement within specific interest areas.

Lastly, Threads has introduced an updated video player with new play, pause, and skip functions. The addition of a pinned progress bar aims to improve navigation within video content.

These changes are part of Meta’s broader effort to position Threads as a real-time engagement platform, competing more directly with X (formerly Twitter). The updates are rolling out to users globally.