Zuckerberg says Threads, Instagram’s new Twitter-like app, launched with 5 million users; Elon Musk responds

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, made a splash in the social media world with the launch of its new platform “Threads” on Wednesday. Within just a few hours of its release, the app garnered over 5 million sign-ups, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg expressed his excitement about the platform’s successful launch in a new thread on Threads, stating, “Just passed 5 million sign-ups in the first four hours…” Earlier, he had announced that the app had gained 2 million sign-ups in the initial two hours after its release.

Interestingly, Zuckerberg has positioned Threads as a direct competitor to Elon Musk’s Twitter-like platform. The notion even led to both tech CEOs jokingly suggesting they would settle their differences in a cage match. Musk responded to the launch on his own platform, tweeting, “It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram.”

Zuckerberg warmly welcomed new users to Threads, stating, “Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads.” He also expressed his vision of creating a public conversations app with over 1 billion users, believing that Twitter had missed this opportunity and hoping that Threads would succeed.

Connor Hayes, Instagram’s vice president of products, who played a leading role in the launch, confirmed that Threads was intended as a direct competitor to Musk’s app. He emphasized the need for more choices in the social media space, as Twitter has long dominated the market.

Described as “an app that’s built for conversations that feels more productive and positive,” Threads aims to differentiate itself from existing platforms. Musk joined in on user criticisms of Threads on Twitter, responding with laughing emojis to various tweets mocking the platform.

Some users raised concerns about the overlap between Instagram and Threads, with one user describing it as a “special hell” to read all the Twitter-like thoughts of the people they follow on Instagram. Musk also found humor in a meme suggesting that Threads was largely copied and pasted from Instagram and Twitter.

Threads allows users to access the platform using their Instagram login and utilizes Instagram’s infrastructure. It shares similarities with Twitter, allowing users to make posts up to 500 characters long and share content up to five minutes long. Users can also post links, photos, and videos, typical features of social media apps. The app’s central feed resembles Twitter’s design and recommends content from other users. It also allows users to turn on notifications for specific users.

Despite some criticism, Meta is aiming to establish a strong presence in the social media market and has made aggressive moves to launch Threads ahead of schedule. Criticisms of Musk’s handling of Twitter and recent changes implemented on the platform, including imposed limits on user post visibility, have contributed to the accelerated launch of Threads.

The app was released without advertising, with Meta prioritizing the acquisition of a substantial user base before focusing on profit and revenue. However, Meta executives have not ruled out the addition of advertising in the future. While the company has a track record of delivering relevant ad products, their immediate focus is on building value for consumers and creators.

Executives have emphasized that there will be no limit on the number of posts users can see on Threads, aiming to provide an open and expansive experience for users.