Instagram reportedly developing a new messaging app as a Snapchat competitor called Threads

Facebook owned photo-sharing app, Instagram is reportedly developing a new messaging app. It is allegedly aimed at helping users share more information more often with their closest friends. Threads is “meant to promote constant, intimate sharing between users and their closest friends,” The Verge reported. It appears to be yet another attempt by Facebook to take on Snapchat.

According to The Verge, Threads is designed as a companion app to Instagram. Users can not only share typical text, photo, and video messages using Instagram’s creative tools, but Threads invites users to automatically share their location, speed, and battery life with the “close friends” list on Instagram. 

The Verge goes on to say, “Screenshots reviewed by The Verge show an app that’s designed to promote constant, automatic sharing between users and the people on their “close friends” list on Instagram. Opt in to automatic sharing, and Threads will regularly update your status, giving your friends a real-time view of information about your location, speed, and more. At the moment, Threads does not display your real-time location — instead, it might say something like a friend is “on the move,” according to sources familiar with the matter.

You can also update your status manually, with statuses appearing in the main feed along with messages. It’s the latest effort to automate status sharing using mobile phone sensors and one-tap status sharing.”

Earlier this year, Instagram ceased to work on a standalone messaging app called Direct, which it had been developing since late 2017. After the Facebook acquisition, Instagram employees who work on messaging were moved to the Facebook Messenger team. 

Moreover, reports have indicated that the average Snapchat user spends more time inside the app than the average Instagram user does. Facebook might be taking a major step to to chip away at their rival’s appeal.

However, there is no word on the launch date of Threads yet.

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Prakhar Khanna

I write about tech stuff and tell (stupid) jokes View Full Profile