Instagram to launch Twitter competitor this week, with perfect timing

polygon.com:

Instagram will launch a new “text-based conversation app” called Threads on Thursday, July 6 — just as Twitter users once more contemplate a mass exodus in the wake of controversial changes instigated by the social network’s owner, Elon Musk.

The new app from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, appeared on the iOS App Store on Tuesday after an early listing was spotted on the Google Play store earlier in the weekend, according to The Verge. A countdown to 10 a.m. EDT on July 6 has also appeared on the website threads.net, with a link to the App Store listing.

Threads appears to have a similar interface and functionality to Twitter and other social media platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon. Screenshots on the App Store listing show the ability to like, reply, and repost, follow users, and control who can reply to a post. Login seems to be handled through Instagram accounts, with users keeping the same username.

“Say more with Threads — Instagram’s text-based conversation app,” reads the app description. “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.”

Meta’s Twitter competitor has magically appeared just as controversial rule changes at Twitter have once again alienated a large swathe of users. In the past few days, Twitter has required login to view posts, rate-limited how many posts users who don’t subscribe to its Twitter Blue service can view per day, and said it