Meta’s new Twitter clone, Threads, is now out in the wild

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Alright, folks, grab your popcorn because the social media landscape is getting a shake-up. Meta (you know, the artist formerly known as Facebook) has just dropped Threads – an app that’s so Twitter-esque it’s got us all doing double takes.

After months of development, Threads made its grand debut on Wednesday night.

Now available for download on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Threads might make you feel like you’re seeing double – or should we say Tweeting double?

While its interface might have you seeing Twitter-shaped stars, don’t be fooled; Threads isn’t just another carbon copy in the social media Xerox machine.

Your Instagram handle will work in Threads

Threads comes with its own bag of tricks. For starters, it’s built on Instagram’s network, which means you can conveniently reuse your Insta handle and bring along your army of followers without breaking a sweat.

The timing couldn’t be better (or worse if you’re Team Twitter). With recent boycotts and user exodus due to what some are calling ‘Twitter tantrums’, many users have been hunting for greener pastures where they can tweet…err…thread peacefully.

And then there was that awkward moment when Twitter decided to limit access to posts right before Threads hit the market.

Officially blamed on bot activity concerns (yeah, right), critics suspect technical glitches were actually at play here – adding fuel to the already raging fire among disgruntled Tweeters.

But hold onto your hashtags! There’s a catch: currently, the app is only accessible in Uncle Sam’s land and across the pond in the UK due to regulatory hurdles in Europe. As for expansion plans? Mum’s the word from Meta HQ so far.

Industry pundits predict Threads could take off faster than Elon Musk’s rockets, thanks largely to Instagram’s established community and growing demand for new platforms where people can share their cat videos or rant about pineapple pizza.

As Mark Zuckerberg readies his latest borrowed brainchild for battle against Twitter with his trademark competitive spirit, we’ll have to sit back and watch how this plot unfolds.

So will Threads weave itself into our daily lives or end up being another digital fad? Only time will tell if it can truly give old birds like Twitter a run for their tweets.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Instagram’s Twitter clone, Threads, is available to download again
• What is Bluesky? And does it have the potential to be a Twitter killer?
• Quitting Twitter? Try any of these 7 alternatives
• Meta Verified is officially live on Facebook and Instagram

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.