Threads' first major update brings Follows tab to iOS

Image: Meta

Meta has updated its new social network Threads with features that could make it easier to connect with other users and discover new content. The iOS app now has a Follows tab that displays who followed you and lets you follow them back. It also has translations for post text so you can read posts from different languages. You can now subscribe to users you don't follow, and get notifications when they post. The app is also faster and smoother, with some interface improvements.

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Meta’s Threads breaks records, crosses 100 million sign-ups in 5 days

Meta's new app Threads, a rival to Elon Musk's Twitter, reached 100 million sign-ups in just five days, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday. This makes it the fastest-growing online platform ever, beating ChatGPT's record of two months. Threads has seen a surge of users since its launch on Wednesday, with many celebrities, politicians and influencers joining the platform that analysts view as the first serious threat to Twitter. Zuckerberg said in a Threads post that the app's growth was mostly organic and that they had not done much promotion yet.

Twitter, which had about 240 million daily active users as of July last year, has seen its web traffic decline since Threads' launch, according to web analytics firms. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted on Monday that the platform had its "largest usage day" since February, but did not give details. Other competitors to Twitter, such as Mastodon, Bluesky, Truth Social and T2, remain relatively small and niche at this point.

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Meta's Threads welcomes Google, YouTube, and other official accounts

Meta’s Threads is considered a hit, with 70 million sign-ups in two days. It also attracted Google and its divisions/companies to join the social network. Some of the early adopters include Google for Developers (@googlefordevs), Google Workspace (@googleworkspace), and Google DeepMind (@deepmind), as well as YouTube (@YouTube), which has already posted on Threads. Google (@google), with millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter, made its debut on Friday morning with a “Hey” and a Chrome Dino post. It also reminded users how to access the offline game on Chrome widgets for Android, iOS, and desktop: chrome://dino.

Google Pixel (@googlepixel) also joined today, and more accounts, like Android, are expected to follow. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) is also on the platform. Besides promoting their products and news, will Google and YouTube use Threads for customer support? That remains to be seen. But social support is a key feature of modern social networks and something Twitter was typically used for.

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Twitter threatens to sue Meta, accuses of poaching employees and copying its platform with Threads app

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Meta may face legal action from Twitter over its new text app Threads, which Twitter says is a "copycat" of its platform. Twitter claims Meta hired former Twitter employees who used Twitter's trade secrets and intellectual property to develop Threads. Meta denies the allegations and says none of the Threads engineers are ex-Twitter staff. Threads is a text-based companion to Instagram that resembles Twitter and other text-based social platforms. It launched on Wednesday and attracted 30 million users in one day, posing a serious challenge to Twitter's dominance. Twitter's owner Elon Musk accused Meta of "cheating" and vowed to protect his intellectual property rights.

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