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.

(Prav tako je treba omeniti, da je vodja Instagrama Adam Mosseri že napovedal, da “iščejo način, kako ločeno izbrisati račun Threads.”)

Za zdaj “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.

Samo en glavni “feed”

Družbena omrežja so znana po tem, da naše “feede” polnijo z vsebino (pogosto neželeno), ki jo priporočajo s strani računov, ki jim ne sledimo. Twitter (in tudi IG ter Facebook) nudi možnost, da vidimo samo tiste objave profilov, ki jim sledimo. Threads te funkcionalnosti nima. Na voljo je zgolj en glavni “feed”, ki je pogosto poln različniih računov, ki jim uporabniki sploh ne sledijo. Včasih računi, ki jim sledijo, dobijo višja mesta na “feedu”, vendar to ni pravilo. Poleg vsega “feed” ni kronološki, kar še poveča kaos.

Ni “vročih tem”

Platforma Threads zaenkrat ne vključuje popularnih tem, ki kažejo, o čem vsi govorijo, kakšen je dnevni diskurz ali kdo je glavni junak. Na Twitterju je funkcija priljubljenih tem pogosto vir tračev, lahko bi rekli celo groze (»Zakaj je ime moje najljubše zvezdnice priljubljeno?!«) in udarnih novic. “Trending” teme so imele svoje nadležne dele, vendar se vseeno zdi, da je njihov manko v aplikaciji Threads napaka. Ne glede na vse govorimo o funkciji, ki ponuja hiter dostop do pomembnih novic in enostaven prikaz dodatnih informacij o teh novicah. Upajmo, da bodo Threads razvialci v svojem prizadevanju, da bi nadomestil Twitter, našli način za vključitev priljubljenih tem v platformo.

Threads brez “hashtagov”

“Hashtagi” oz. ključniki olajšajo iskanje vsebine, povezane s temami, ki vas najbolj zanimajo. Če ste obsedeni z najnovejšo sezono priljubljene serije, hitro iskanje uradnega “hashtaga” na Twitterju prikaže ogromno tvitov, polnih komentarjev glede določenih epizod ali likov. “Hashtagi” vam omogočajo, da tvitate v živo in poiščete skupnost okoli pomembnih dogodkov, gibanj ali celo športnih ali televizijskih oddaj.

Zato je škoda, da Threads še nima te pomembne funkcije, vendar brez skrbi. “Hashtagi” so med navedenimi funkcijami, za katere je Mosseri priznal, da manjkajo v tej zgodnji različici. Zelo verjetno je, da delajo na tem.

Your likes do not have their own space on the profile

Ko na Twitterju všečkate objavo, se vsi ti všečki vidijo pod objavami, da jih lahko vsi vidijo. Tako si lahko ogledate, kaj je nekomu všeč, tako da se pomaknete na njegov profil in izberete zavihek “Likes”.

Na drugi strani Threads nima posebnega zavihka, ki bi celemu svetu pokazal, kaj vam je všeč. Kolikor je možno videti v tej fazi, ima platforma preprosto dva zavihka: “Threads” (vaše objave) in “Replies”. To ne pomeni, da nobeden od vaših všečkov ni javen. Včasih lahko ljudje vidijo, kaj vam je všeč, v glavnem viru, ko se pomikajo po platformi. Kakorkoli že, na platformi ni določenega lahko dostopnega javnega razdelka, ki bi pokazal vse o vašem početju na platformi.

(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, ki je na Threads objavil lastnosti, ki manjkajo, je na seznam vključil tudi direktna sporočila, vendar dopisal “mogoče”. Torej ni nujno, da bodo kdajkoli postala del aplikacije.

There are no bookmarks

Za nekoga, ki vsak dan med zaznamke doda “a lot” objav, je bilo to največje razočaranje. Objave trenutno ni mogoče shraniti ali dodati med zaznamke. Upajmo, da bodo lastnost dodali v prihodnji posodobitvi, omogočili iskanje po njih in uporabnikom omogočili, da jih organizirajo v mape. Instagram že nekaj časa omogoča shranjevanje objav in njihovo organiziranje, kar se je izkazalo kot zelo uporabna funkcionalnost.

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.