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Meta continues to roll out new updates for Threads to help with their declining engagement. Let’s break down each update one by one:
Follow specific Threads
One of many updates is the introduction of a new option that will enable you to follow a specific Thread in the app, without having to follow the user. Users have to tap on the bell icon that appears on the top-right corner of a thread to get updates about that specific conversation. The notifications remain active for the proceeding 24 hours.
If the application ends up becoming a bigger source of breaking news coverage, the way X, previously Twitter, is, this latest update could be especially valuable.
Web functionality
Over on the new web version of the application, you can now quote other posts. This feature was always available on the mobile version but it was not part of the initial desktop build.
To do this on the web version, users have to click on the “repost” logo under the post they want to quote, and then select “quote”.
It’s another small step in improving Threads functionality, especially on the newly released website, as the Threads team continues to improve the offering, in the hopes of maintaining its growth momentum.
Updated post activity
The application now also allows users to scan through any posts’ likes, reports, and quotes separately. This will help users see who is interacting with their posts and how.
Post by @threadsView on Threads
Keyword search problems
Other updates, such as keyword search, have been met with some issues. Users are noting that by default, the app shows no results when you search for “COVID” or related terms. Instead, it refers users to the CDC website for official information instead.
Further investigation by The Washington Post found that Threads is actually censoring search activity for a range of terms, including “nude,” or “gore,” and others. Some users have pointed to this as a restriction of free speech and discussion, which could hurt the app, especially as it relates to trending topics, just like X.
While these are minor changes, the social media platform by Meta will continue to update the application, as it still needs much improvement. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri has hinted time and again that thread editing should be an option. We’ll know when it happens.
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