Most of us use Instagram in one way or another, either for simply keeping up to date with what’s happening on social media or for sharing our lives with our friends. However, rarely do we constantly keep posting updates on our Instagram Stories and profile with posts throughout the day, to let others know what we have been up to. It seems like Facebook wants to change this with a new companion app for Instagram called Threads.
As per The Verge, Facebook is testing the new app, which keeps sending automatic updates to users that one selects. The updates that are sent apparently consist of location, speed, and battery life, alongside your regular texts, images and videos. The Threads app is said to be designed to share the said information with your ‘close friends’ list on Instagram and as per the report, Facebook is testing the app internally right now.
Features borrowed, not stolen
Some of the features that are being reported in the new app have already been a part of Snapchat from some time now. For example, Snapchat users can share how little battery is left in their phone via a sticker. However, this hardly comes as a surprise. Tech apps keep copying some of the most famous features from one another. Over the years, Instagram copied a ton of features from Snapchat like the Stories tab, AR lenses, and more.
How will Threads be different?
While there’s limited information available about the app, it seems like the most unique thing it has to offer is the recurring automatic updates. Once a user starts using the app, it will startup updating the user’s status in a constant manner. This means your ‘close friends’ will be able to see your location, speed and more. However, the report suggests that instead of a user’s live location, the app shows if they are “on the move.”
The concept of Threads app is basically based around messaging, which the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg did say is the future of Facebook. The app’s main feed is said to show messages from your friends, which would be marked by a green dot to show they are online or currently active. One will also be able to view their Friend’s stories from within the Threads app, and also use the device’s camera from within the app to click pictures and videos that can be shared with your friends.
When will it release in Europe?
Since the Threads app is said to be undergoing internal testing, it is unlikely that it will be launched for the general public anytime soon. However, it only makes sense that the company that has been in the news for data leaks would be working on making the app more secure and its data well protected, before rolling it out for the masses.
Image credits: The Verge
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