- Instagram appears to be getting ready to launch its Twitter-rival app called “Threads.”
- The app has been in development since Jan. and will integrate directly with Instagram, per reports.
- Now the Threads app has been spotted on the Google Play app store in Europe.
After months of rumors, Instagram’s Twitter rival may be hitting the app store soon.
Over the weekend, several people spotted that a new app called “Threads” was listed on the Google Play app store for Android. Alessandro Paluzzi, an Italian mobile developer who reverse engineers Instagram code to reveal internal tests, posted about the app listing on July 1.
A link to the desktop version of the Google Play app store appears to only be available in European countries, such as Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.
The app description currently reads:
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
And yes, it does look eerily similar to Twitter.
In June, The Verge’s Alex Heath reported leaked screenshots of the product, as well as details from an internal meeting with Meta’s chief product officer, Chris Cox. The app has been in development since January, according to the report.
Threads will integrate a decentralized protocol similar to competitors Bluesky and Mastodon.
Instagram is also reportedly recruiting celebrities like Oprah, as well as influencers, to onboard as early users to the Twitter-like app.
In May, Mark Zuckerberg teased the arrival of the app in a Broadcast Channel collaborative session with head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, sending a voice note that said: “No top-secret text apps that you want to talk about today?” Mosseri is overseeing the launch of Threads, according to a March report by Platformer.
Instagram’s new Threads app is different than its previous app of the same name, which launched as a messaging tool in 2019 only to be shut down in 2021.
The Meta-owned platform has a history of launching short-lived standalone apps, former Instagram product manager Eric Wei pointed out to Insider in a recent interview.
“We’ve never made the separate app work,” Wei said, using Instagram’s long-form video app IGTV as an example.
But there is a very clear opportunity for Meta and Instagram here, Wei added.
“It’s a better idea than a lot of other things that have come out of Meta recently,” Daniel Morgan, a senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust, told Insider in April. “It’s a great opportunity for them to fill that void with Twitter going through such a transition.”
Instagram did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Do you have information or details to share about Instagram’s new app? Contact Sydney Bradley via Signal (+1 646-580-2044), encrypted email ([email protected]), or standard email ([email protected]). Reach out using a non-work device.
Connect with Marta Biino using Signal or Whatsapp at +44 7783 336214, via email at [email protected], or on Instagram and Twitter @martabiino. Reach out using a non-work device.
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