It has been just shy of one month since the release of Threads. Downloaded to much fanfare, the app experienced 100 million sign ups within the first five days and is currently at 118 million users.
Since then, it has been reported that user engagement for the app has dropped. According to Forbes, “Threads’ daily active users stands at around 13 million—down from 44 million on July 7—and the average daily time spent on the app is four minutes, which is down from its launch day peak of 19 minutes.”
Despite Threads experiencing a user slump, it doesn’t mean that your brand should shy away. With such a large number of users, Threads has shown itself to be a platform that many are interested in. And thanks to the new features and updates that are being rolled out, user engagement may increase again.
New Threads Features
Upon its initial release, many Threads users were happy for a Twitter alternative, but also wanted more from the app – including a following tab and Threads for desktop.
Rolling Out: Following Feed
Threads recently began rolling out their following feed this week, allowing users to chronologically view threads from users that you follow. Slowly appearing on both iOS and Android versions of the app, the feature is not available to all users just yet.
How to find the following feed? When opening Threads, it will still default to the “For You” tab. Users will need to tap on the home icon at the bottom left of the app or the Threads logo at the top of your screen to make the following feed appear (and disappear). If tapping the icon doesn’t result in the following feed’s appearance, it hasn’t been added to your account as of yet.
On Its Way: Threads for Desktop, Hashtags, Editable Posts, Reply Limits
Forbes curated a list of every update that Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri has stated will be on its way. Those features include, edit posts, hashtags, the ability to switch between Threads accounts without logging out, desktop version and a search function.
These features are similar to what you can find on Twitter, however with the public’s interest in a Twitter alternative, adding these features can give Threads a competitive advantage.
Not Likely: Direct Messaging and Advertising
When it comes to direct messaging, Mosseri stated that he doesn’t want to “add another inbox” for users considering Instagram already allows for direct messaging. Advertising also appears to be a detail that isn’t very high on Threads priority list, as Mosseri wants to focus on Threads simply being a platform that people use daily, not one of monetization.
As Threads continues to roll out updates, user engagement is likely to rise again as the app will become more functional and have features that are intriguing to users. If you are interested in learning more about Threads, read our previous blog post all about the app here!
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