‘Twitter Killer’ App Threads Gains Ten Million Users In Less Than Ten Hours Since It Launched (DETAIL)

More than 10 million people have signed up to Threads, Meta’s rival to Twitter, in the first ten hours since it launched, according to its CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The app, which went live at midnight UK time on Thursday, is linked to Instagram, allowing users to easily set up accounts and gain followers.

Mr Zuckerberg only announced the new app on Tuesday, calling it an app built for ‘sharing with text’.

At first glance, the app features an unmistakable Twitter-like feed in Instagram’s signature design.

‘Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations,’ said Mr Zuckerberg in an announcement.

With Threads, Meta is also trying its hand at a ‘decentralised’ approach like many Twitter alternatives.

‘We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet,’ said Zuckerberg.

This sounds a lot like the ‘digital town square’ that Elon Musk once described Twitter as when he bought the social media platform.

Meta’s launch comes at a time when Twitter is weathering yet another storm by by limiting tweets and making users unhappy.

Unlike other potential Twitter alternatives like Mastodon, Bluesky or Hive, Threads has the advantage of nearly 2.35 billion monthly active Instagram users who will be nudged towards the new app.

After the initial announcement, social media users touted Threads to be a ‘Twitter killer’, with the growing discontent on the bird app.

For creators familiar with Meta’s ecosystem, it’s a no-brainer to try to grow their following on this new app rather than start from scratch.

However, Instagram is primarily a visual app, so it remains to be seen if creators will want to use a text-based platform.