When Meta first introduced the Threads app, the internet went wild. Everyone began downloading it on release day. It was new and exciting, but, has the novelty worn off?
Threads was introduced earlier this year. When it was first released, everyone went crazy. Although it was designed as a platform for content creators, everyone, creator or not decided to download it. Suddenly, the app was inundated with users.
However, with so many users, you get so many critics. People were discovering various ways that the app didn’t quite live up to expectations. Many thought it would replace Twitter, but it didn’t seem to be able to compete.
For starters, it had a completely random algorithm. There was no real way to understand what you were being shown, or why. Threads didn’t have a For You, or Following feed, so you would be shown content from people you didn’t follow.
This meant every follow you gave out was pretty pointless. You’d follow an account and never see it post, unless you searched for it. Threads have since updated their platform and made some changes, but it’s possible they’d already lost.
They essentially set themselves up for failure. Once the app was launched, they announced they’d be adding some features that were currently missing, but perhaps if they’d held on a little while longer before launching, they’d have made more of an impact.
Is Threads dead?
From the 10th July when Threads was first launched until the 31st July, the user count started declining by 82%. In the beginning, 100 million people signed up but this soon dropped. People were finding it couldn’t offer what they were looking for.
Many saw it as an escape from Twitter but when it didn’t have the advanced tools Twitter did, they resorted back to what they knew. The daily active user count continues to drop by 1% each day. It seems it was too good to be true.
With Threads adding features some users could be pulled back in, but it’s unlikely. They’ve possibly returned to Twitter and no longer want to move across to another app. Especially as Threads does not offer a web platform.
As it rapidly declines in popularity, we feel it’s safe to say Threads is dying before it had chance to really shine. But then, that’s on Meta for releasing a half ready project. They should have held back until all the extra features had been developed.
We tried Threads a few times but couldn’t see what it offered us that was different to Twitter. It just seemed like another platform to juggle but with no real reward. Meta may need to change the game if they want Threads to succeed.
