10 things that make Threads different from Twitter

The Threads app has taken off in earnest and already has millions of users. Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons for this is the easy way to sign up, the immediate accessibility for iOS and Android users and the fact that the user interface is very similar to the main competitor Twitter.

What about the differences between the two microblogging platforms? Many of you Twitter users are probably wondering how Meta's app differs from it and whether those differences are enough to start using the new tool.

Here are the 10 biggest differences between the Twitter and Threads apps.

Threads accounts are tied to existing Instagram accounts

When you log into Threads, you'll immediately notice that you need an existing Instagram account to log in. That's right, your Threads account will be linked to your IG account. This is already a big difference compared to Twitter, which allows you to create an account without connecting it to any other platform. This has two consequences, one obvious and one not so obvious. Obviously, if you wanted a more anonymous Threads account, it probably won't happen if you're using your existing IG account. In fact, your Threads profile automatically includes a link to your Instagram profile that people can use to visit.

(Though you could probably just log into a new IG account and use it to create a more anonymous Threads account.)

Another not-so-obvious consequence of linking your IG account to Threads is that due to the way Threads is currently set up, you can't delete your account without deleting the linked Instagram account. So, if you decide that Threads really isn't for you, but you want to keep your existing IG account, your only option is to deactivate your Threads account.

(It's also worth noting that Instagram head Adam Mosseri has already announced that they are "looking for a way to separately delete the Threads account.")

For now "mobile-only"

Many people prefer to access Twitter through the desktop website instead of using the mobile app. Threads does have a website, but you can't directly access the platform this way. For now, the site only has a QR code that directs users to the mobile app. So if you prefer to access your social media through a website, Threads may not be the platform for you (for now). But it could be in the future. Mosseri posted a reply on Threads indicating that an online version of the platform is in the works.

Only one main "feed"

Social networks are notorious for flooding our feeds with content (often unwanted) recommended by accounts we don't follow. Twitter (and also IG and Facebook) offers the possibility to see only the posts of the profiles we follow. Threads does not have this functionality. There is only one main "feed", which is often full of different accounts that users do not follow at all. Sometimes the accounts they follow get higher places on the "feed", but this is not the rule. On top of all that, the feed is not chronological, which adds to the chaos.

There are no "hot topics"

The Threads platform does not yet include popular topics that show what everyone is talking about, what the daily discourse is, or who the main character is. On Twitter, the trending topics feature is often a source of gossip, you might even say horror ("Why is my favorite celebrity's name trending?!") and breaking news. “Trending” topics had their annoying parts, but their absence in the Threads app still seems to be a bug. Regardless, we are talking about a feature that offers quick access to important news and easy display of additional information about that news. Hopefully, in their quest to replace Twitter, the Threads developers will find a way to incorporate popular topics into the platform.

Threads without "hashtags"

"Hashtags" or keywords make it easy to find content related to the topics that interest you the most. If you're obsessed with the latest season of a popular series, a quick search for the official "hashtag" on Twitter will turn up tons of tweets full of comments about specific episodes or characters. “Hashtags” allow you to live tweet and find community around important events, movements, or even sports or TV shows.

So it's a shame that Threads doesn't have this important feature yet, but don't worry. “Hashtags” are among the listed features that Mosseri admitted were missing from this early version. It is very likely that they are working on it.

Your likes do not have their own space on the profile

When you like a post on Twitter, all those likes appear below the posts for everyone to see. So you can see what someone likes by navigating to their profile and selecting the “Likes” tab.

Threads, on the other hand, doesn't have a dedicated tab to show the world what you like. As far as can be seen at this stage, the platform simply has two tabs: “Threads” (your posts) and “Replies”. This does not mean that none of your likes are public. Sometimes people can see what you like in the main feed as they scroll through the platform. However, there is no specific easily accessible public section on the platform that shows everything about what you do on the platform.

(For now) no ads

You read that right, the Threads platform is ad-free for now. How long it will remain like this is difficult to predict. According to Zuckerberg's announcements, monetization of the platform could happen when it reaches one billion users. Pretty optimistic forecast right? In any case, first-time users of the app should enjoy using it without ads, as this is a real rarity among social networks.

No direct messages

Similar to ads, Threads does not offer direct messaging in its early stages. This means that all of us who primarily use social networks to chat and exchange messages will not be the most enthusiastic about the new platform. It is currently unknown whether direct messages are even in the development plan in the future. Mosseri, who posted the missing features on Threads, also included direct messages in the list, but added "maybe". So they don't necessarily ever become part of the app.

There are no bookmarks

For someone who bookmarks “a lot” posts, this was the biggest disappointment. This post cannot be saved or bookmarked at this time. Hopefully they will add the feature in a future update, make them searchable, and allow users to organize them into folders. Instagram has been allowing posts to be saved and organized for some time, which has proven to be a very useful functionality.

Text posts limited to 500 characters

Twitter users using the platform without a Twitter Blue subscription can post tweets of up to 280 characters. Twitter Blue subscribers, however, can post tweets of up to 4,000 characters.

The Threads platform is currently somewhere in the middle, offering posts with a maximum of 500 characters. Which is a welcome change from Twitter. Four thousand characters is frankly too much for microblogging, and 280 can sometimes be a bit insufficient. Five hundred characters can actually be the point that helps keep things concise and allows us to write down our thoughts without having to find other ways to abbreviate them with emojis or other methods.