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Wondering how to use Threads App?
If so, this guide is for you.
Threads is a social media platform launched by Facebook’s Meta on Thursday, July 6, 2023, to compete with Twitter.
Threads, the popular social media app closely linked with Instagram, has taken the internet by storm, amassing over 100 million users quickly (source). If you’re new to Threads or curious about its features, this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about using the app. We’ve covered you, from signing up and following your friends to creating engaging posts and sharing content. So, let’s dive in and discover the ins and outs of the Threads app.
The process is straightforward, especially if you’re an existing Instagram user. Threads automatically use your Instagram credentials to log in, but you can switch accounts if needed. During signup, you’ll confirm your profile details, including your username, which is pulled from your Instagram account. It’s important to note that changing your username on Threads requires changing it on Instagram. Once your profile is set up, you can add a bio and import details from your Instagram account to save time.
To get started on Threads, follow these step-by-step instructions to create your account:
Download the Threads app on your phone from the respective app store.
Once the app is installed, open it on your device.
If you already have an Instagram account logged in on the same phone, Threads will automatically use your Instagram credentials to log in. If not, proceed to the next step.
On the signup screen, you will be presented with an option to log in with your default Instagram account. If you want to use a different Instagram account, tap on “Switch accounts” at the bottom of the screen.
After selecting the Instagram account you want to sign up with, you need to confirm your profile details. It’s important to note that your username on Threads is linked to your Instagram account and cannot be changed separately. If you wish to change your username on Threads, you must change it on Instagram.
Next, you can add your bio and include important links such as your website or other social media handles. To make it easier, you can auto-fill these details from your Instagram profile by tapping “Import from Instagram.” This will also sync your display picture from Instagram.
Click on “Continue” to proceed to the next page, where you can choose the privacy settings for your profile. Select “Public” if you want everyone to see and interact with your posts, or choose “Private” to limit visibility to approved followers only.
The following page will display a list of accounts you already follow on Instagram. You have the option to follow them on Threads quickly. If your friends haven’t joined Threads yet, clicking on “Follow” will send them a request that remains pending until they join the app. Once they join, you will automatically start following them. If you want to follow all the accounts, tap on “Follow all” at the bottom of the list or use the next arrow in the top right corner to proceed.
Finally, tap on “Join Threads” at the bottom of the screen to complete the sign-up process.
If your Instagram account is verified, please note that you can only change your profile picture on Instagram. Threads will automatically display your verification badge alongside your profile information.
Congratulations! You have successfully created your Threads account and are ready to explore all the app’s features and functionalities. Enjoy connecting with friends, sharing posts, and engaging with the Threads community.
Threads operate as a mobile-first platform, meaning it’s primarily designed for use on smartphones and doesn’t have a desktop version. When you sign up on Threads, you can choose between a public or private profile. Public profiles allow everyone to view and interact with your posts, while private profiles restrict visibility to only approved followers. Threads also offer a seamless way to follow accounts you already follow on Instagram. If your friends haven’t joined Threads yet, you can follow them, and your request will be pending until they join. The new app provides a smooth and intuitive user experience, allowing you to navigate different screens effortlessly.
Importing your Instagram followers to Threads is a convenient feature that allows you to connect with your existing social circle on the app seamlessly. Although you can’t import your followers in bulk, they can easily follow you on Threads once they join the platform.
In addition to your followers, you can follow all your Instagram friends on Threads. You don’t have to search for and follow each friend manually. Instead, you can simply choose the option to follow all accounts associated with your Instagram profile. This saves you time and effort, ensuring you stay connected with your friends without hassle.
Alternatively, if you prefer a more selective approach, you can manually choose the specific Instagram friends you want to follow on Threads. This gives you greater control over the accounts you connect with and allows you to curate your Threads experience according to your preferences.
By importing your Instagram followers or selectively following your friends, you can quickly build your network on Threads and engage with a familiar audience. Whether you want to stay connected with close friends, collaborate with colleagues, or follow influencers you admire, the ability to import followers enhances your overall experience on the platform.
As Threads grows and attracts more users, importing followers will become even more valuable. It ensures you can maintain your existing relationships while exploring the unique features and content offered by this exciting social media app.
Customizing your profile on Threads is a breeze. You can access your profile page by clicking the human icon at the bottom right of the app. From there, you can edit your bio, add links to your website or other social media handles, and even change your profile picture. However, it’s important to note that Threads pulls your profile information from Instagram, so changing your name on Threads requires changing it on Instagram. The profile page also provides quick access to Instagram and buttons to adjust app settings and view your posted threads and replies.
Click the “Draft” icon at the app’s bottom center to create a post on Threads.
Threads focus on a text-based format, similar to Twitter, where you can share your thoughts and ideas.
Posts on Threads can contain up to 500 characters, allowing for longer and more detailed messages.
Enhance your posts by incorporating images and videos to make them more engaging and visually appealing.
Tag your friends in your posts by mentioning their handles, making it easy to include them in the conversation.
It’s important to note that once you’ve posted a thread, you cannot edit it directly. So make sure to review your content before sharing.
Control the visibility of your posts by managing who can reply to them. You can limit replies to specific users or make them open to everyone.
Additionally, you can hide the number of likes on your posts if you prefer not to display that information.
Posting on Threads provides a platform to express yourself through text-based messages while incorporating multimedia elements to enhance your posts. Take advantage of the tagging feature to involve your friends in the conversation, and remember to review your content before writing and sharing it with your audience.
Threads may not have a native GIF keyboard like Twitter, but you can still incorporate GIFs into your posts and replies. Although Threads doesn’t provide a built-in GIF feature, you can seamlessly leverage your phone’s keyboard to share these animated images.
If your phone’s keyboard supports GIFs, such as the popular Google Keyboard available for iOS and Android devices, you can easily input them into your Threads posts. Simply access the GIF feature within your keyboard and select the desired GIF to include in your message. This allows you to add a touch of animation and expressiveness to your content, making it more engaging for your audience.
Alternatively, if your keyboard doesn’t have a GIF function or you prefer to use specific GIFs, you can download them from various online sources or create your own. Once the desired GIF is saved on your iPhone or Android device, you can manually share it on Threads. Here’s how:
Launch the Threads app on your phone.
Start a new thread by clicking on the “Draft” icon.
Tap the paper clip icon within the thread to open your device’s gallery.
Locate and select the GIF you want to share.
Tap “Post” to include the GIF in your Threads message.
It’s important to note that while sharing GIFs on Threads is possible, some users have reported occasional issues or crashes when attempting to share GIFs, videos, or images. If you encounter any difficulties, you may need to try sharing the GIF a few times or check for app updates that address these issues.
By leveraging your phone’s keyboard or manually sharing GIFs, you can add visual interest and fun to your Threads posts, enhancing overall communication and expression on the platform.
At present, Threads does not fully support the functionality of hashtags. While you can include hashtags in your posts, it’s important to note that they are not clickable and do not significantly impact your posts’ reach. In contrast to platforms like Twitter, where hashtags are vital in making posts go viral and increasing visibility, using hashtags on Threads doesn’t provide substantial benefits.
Although hashtags can be used in your Threads posts, they do not contribute to your content’s overall discoverability or searchability within the app. Unlike Twitter, where clicking on a hashtag leads to a stream of related posts, Threads currently lacks this feature. As a result, hashtags on Threads primarily serve as text elements rather than functional tools for increasing post reach or engagement.
However, monitoring future updates and developments within the Threads app is important. As the platform evolves, hashtags may be implemented more meaningfully, offering enhanced discoverability and opportunities for content virality. While this feature has no definite timeline, it’s worth staying updated and adjusting your approach launch threads accordingly.
In the meantime, focus on creating compelling and engaging content, including tagging friends, incorporating multimedia elements, and engaging with your followers to build a vibrant and active Threads presence.
Engagement is a fundamental aspect of social media, and Threads offers various ways to interact with posts and participate in conversations. Here’s how you can engage with Threads posts:
Like: Show appreciation for a post by clicking the heart icon, indicating that you enjoyed the content or found it interesting.
Comment: Leave a comment to contribute to the ongoing discussion or share your thoughts on the post. Conversations allow you to connect with other users and build meaningful connections.
Report: If you encounter inappropriate or violating content, you can report it by clicking on the double arrow icon below the post. Reporting helps maintain a safe and respectful community on the platform.
Repost or Quote: Similar to retweeting on Twitter, Threads allows you to repost a thread or quote it with additional comments. This feature lets you share interesting or thought-provoking content with your followers and provide insights.
Share: Threads offer various options for sharing posts. You can share a post as a story on your Instagram profile, post it to your Instagram feed, or copy the link for sharing on other platforms. Additionally, you can use third-party messaging Android apps like WhatsApp or email to share the threads post with friends or contacts outside the Threads app.
By actively engaging with Threads posts, you contribute to the community, spark discussions, and build connections with other users. Whether liking, commenting, or sharing, these interactions play a vital role in fostering a vibrant and engaging environment on the platform.
Threads simplify finding and following your friends on the platform through its search feature. To connect with your friends on Threads, follow these steps:
Open the Threads app on your phone and navigate to the bottom navigation bar.
Tap on the search icon, typically represented by a magnifying glass.
You can search for people on the search page by entering their names or Instagram profiles in the search bar.
Threads will display relevant results based on your search query as you type.
Look for your friends, favorite YouTubers, sports stars, celebrities, or other users you wish to follow.
Threads provide insights into the popularity of each account by displaying the number of followers they have.
Tap on the desired account to view their profile and decide whether you want to follow them.
To follow an account, simply tap the “Follow” button associated with their profile.
Once you have followed an account, their posts and updates will appear in your Threads feed, allowing you to stay updated with their content.
By utilizing the search feature on Threads, you can easily find and follow your friends and other notable users, fostering connections and expanding your network on the platform. Enjoy engaging with their posts and sharing experiences within the Threads community.
As of now, Threads only allows logging in with a single account. Switching between multiple threads accounts is not supported at this time. If you want to use a different account, you’ll need to log out and log in with the desired account. Although there is no multi-account functionality, this feature may be added.
Instagram automatically adds a Threads badge to your profile page upon joining Threads. This badge temporarily indicates that you’ve joined Threads and provides a shortcut to your Threads profile. If you prefer not to display the badge on your Instagram profile, you can hide it by accessing the badge, selecting “Hide badge,” and confirming its removal. It’s important to note that the badge cannot be recovered once hidden and will be permanently removed from your profile.
Unfortunately, Threads does not offer an option to edit posts once published. If you need to make corrections or changes to a thread, the only option is to delete the post and repost it with the necessary modifications. While Twitter recently introduced an edit button, Threads does not have this feature yet. However, the ability to edit threads may be added in the future.
Threads is a standalone app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store app or App Store, depending on your smartphone. However, your Instagram account is the only way to create an account on Threads. There is no alternative method for registration. Therefore, to access Threads, you’ll need an existing Instagram account.
Threads and Twitter are two prominent social media platforms with strengths and features. Let’s explore the differences and similarities between them:
Twitter has evolved significantly since its launch, whereas Threads follows Instagram’s path as a mobile-first platform. While Twitter originated as a website, Threads prioritizes mobile app usage, primarily redirecting users to app stores for download.
Both platforms allow users to share various media types, including images, videos, GIFs, and links. However, Threads offers more flexibility with a maximum of 10 items per post, similar to Instagram’s carousel posts. In contrast, Twitter restricts basic accounts to 240 characters per tweet, with Twitter Blue subscribers having the option to extend it to 25,000 characters.
Threads heavily relies on Instagram for its policies, user acquisition, and login credentials. In contrast, Twitter operates as a standalone platform with its own set of rules and principles. This reliance on Instagram can limit Threads users within a closely-knit ecosystem, which may be seen as a limitation.
Threads and Twitter share similar user interfaces, providing users with familiar features such as text-based posts, tagging friends, and commenting on posts. However, Twitter utilizes hashtags to enhance discoverability and increase post reach, while Threads still implements this feature.
On Twitter, users have the option to deactivate their accounts independently. In contrast, Threads is linked to Instagram, making it impossible to leave Threads without quitting Instagram altogether. While you can delete the Threads app from your phone, your account details will remain on Meta’s servers.
Twitter allows users to engage in private conversations through direct messages (DMs), enabling the exchange of text messages, links, images, GIFs, and emojis. Threads does not currently offer a direct messaging feature, as Meta already provides direct chat functionality on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.
Twitter boasts a powerful search function that allows users to discover trending news, people, hashtags, and more. Threads, on the other hand, has limited search capabilities, primarily focusing on finding accounts. The addition of platform-wide search functionality to Threads is uncertain at this time.
Threads offer a basic feed that displays posts from accounts you follow and trending content. Currently, there is limited customization available for personalizing the feed. In comparison, Twitter gives users more control, allowing them to choose between a feed tailored to the accounts they follow or a mix of relevant content and posts from their network.
While Twitter incorporates advertisements and sponsored content into users’ feeds, Threads remains ad-free. This means that your Threads feed won’t be cluttered with ads, but it also restricts your ability to promote posts and reach a wider audience.
Threads is a dynamic social media app that offers a unique experience for users to connect, share content, and engage with friends and followers. By following this ultimate guide, you now have a comprehensive understanding of navigating the Threads app, from creating an account and editing your profile to posting engaging content and interacting with others. Stay updated with new features and enhancements as Threads evolves to maximize your experience on this exciting platform.
We hope you found this comprehensive guide on ‘How To Use Threads’ helpful!
Read our post ‘How To Get Followers on Threads‘ next!
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