Messaging is one of the focuses of today’s Meta concept. But while Facebook and Instagram already have their messaging systems joined, others got to go. Threads, the messenger for closest people by Instagram, will not be integrated into this multisystem. By the end of the year, Threads will be closed.
The original idea was quite good: Threads was positioned as a messenger for people who trust each other. So it had features the Direct Messages in Instagram just couldn’t handle. For example, Threads generated statuses automatically, depending on what the user was or had been doing by that moment. Its notification sound was recognizable and very different from the default alert. It heavily relied on video messaging, resembling Snapchat in this and in its security.
Alas, Threads was not as popular as Instagram. On Google Play, for example, it only hit the 5 million downloads – incredible heights for some upstart startup, but a failure for a project by Instagram. The rates were also far from perfect: on App Store, it’s 3.1 out of 5, and on Google Play it’s those miserable 2.4 out of 5.
Threads users will have to switch to the main Instagram app. As the company states, the core features of Threads will be available in the app (probably as options). Of course, there hasn’t been anything said about integrating Threads with cross-app messaging Meta is now implementing. We already enjoy chats between Instagram and Facebook Messenger accounts, and WhatsApp is to be added soon. But all these apps are used by billions, unlike Threads.
Have you ever used Threads? Will you miss it when it’s gone? What replacement would you offer? Of are you good with generic messaging apps, with no need to have one for your closest friends and relatives? It’s a good topic to discuss in the comments!
