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 CEO Adam Mosseri has previously announced that they are "looking at 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 filling our feeds with content (often unwanted) recommended by accounts we don't follow. Twitter (and also IG and Facebook) offers the option to see only those posts from profiles we follow. Threads doesn't have this functionality. There's only one main feed, which is often full of different accounts that users don't even follow. Sometimes the accounts they follow get higher positions in the feed, but this is not the rule. On top of that, the feed is not chronological, which adds to the chaos.

There are no “hot topics”

Threads doesn’t currently include trending topics, which show what everyone is talking about, what the current discourse is, or who the main character is. On Twitter, the trending topics feature is often a source of gossip, even horror (“Why is my favorite celebrity’s name trending?!”) and breaking news. “Trending” topics have had their share of annoyances, but their absence in Threads still feels like a flaw. Regardless, it’s a feature that offers quick access to important news stories and easy access to additional information about those stories. Hopefully, Threads’ developers will find a way to integrate trending topics into the platform in their quest to replace Twitter.

Threads without “hashtags”

Hashtags make it easy to find content related to the topics you’re most interested in. If you’re obsessed with the latest season of a popular series, a quick search for the official hashtag on Twitter will reveal a ton of tweets full of commentary about specific episodes or characters. Hashtags allow you to live tweet and find a 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 are missing in this early version. It's very likely that they're working on it.

Your likes do not have their own space on the profile

When you like a post on Twitter, all of those likes are displayed below the post for everyone to see. You can see what someone has liked by going to their profile and selecting the “Likes” tab.

Threads, on the other hand, doesn’t have a dedicated tab that shows the world what you’ve liked. As far as we can see at this stage, the platform simply has two tabs: “Threads” (your posts) and “Replies.” This doesn’t mean that none of your likes are public. Sometimes people can see what you’ve liked in the main feed when they’re scrolling through the platform. However, there’s no specific, easily accessible public section on the platform that shows everything you’ve been up to 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 the Zuckerbergs publications monetization of the platform could occur 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. Mossers, who posted the missing features on Threads, also included direct messages on the list, but added "maybe." So it's not necessarily that they'll ever become part of the app.

There are no bookmarks

For someone who bookmarks "every day"a lot” posts, this was the biggest disappointment. Posts cannot currently be saved or bookmarked. Hopefully, they will add the feature in a future update, making them searchable and allowing users to organize them into folders. Instagram has been allowing you to save posts and organize them for a while now, and it has proven to be a very useful feature.

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.