Meta Platforms is gearing up to introduce a web version of its microblogging app, Threads, which stands as a significant new addition.
Sources familiar with Meta’s plans suggest an early this week launch, although these plans are not yet finalised and could be subject to change, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Addressing a long-awaited feature from user requests, the desktop iteration of Threads aims to cater to a diverse set of demands. Initially, the text-based social media app showed promise upon its basic release by Meta in early July. However, recent weeks have seen a decline in its usage.
While users could previously access specific Threads posts on the web, their accessibility remained limited due to the app’s primary focus on mobile devices.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, revealed on his Instagram profile last Friday (18 August) that the internal testing for Threads’ web version is underway at Meta, with an imminent launch on the horizon.
Mosseri mentioned, “It’s a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet. As soon as it is ready we will share it with everybody else.”
Meta hurriedly introduced Threads in order to tap into the growing demand for an alternative to X (previously known as Twitter). Impressively, Threads achieved 100 million downloads in just five days, establishing itself as the fastest-growing app to reach this milestone.
However, despite its initial success, the app’s usage quickly dwindled due to the absence of crucial features. Notably, users yearned for a complete web version of the service.
Recent weeks have seen Meta roll out several additional features, including the ability to receive post notifications for accounts and view posts in a chronological feed format.
Will the web version help Meta gain users again? Only time will tell.
