Are Threads Dead?

Instagram is still trying to make Threads happen, as seen by the integration of suggested threads in our regular Instagaram feed, and the  “temporary badge” @number under our profiles that shows how early we joined the app that’s still hanging around.  

Positioned as a potential X/Twitter replacement, Threads amassed over 30 million sign-ups in just the first 24 hours. However, it has since faded into the background, with only 10 million daily active users in August (down 79%) and a projected 23 million by the end of 2023. 

According to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, Threads is doing okay. There are users, sure, but it's not getting the love and attention Meta hoped for. That could change soon though, as Elon Musk recently suggested X/Twitter would no longer be free and he would charge all users a fee to use the platform, which is sure to cause another spike in Threads usage. 

“Threads received an initial boost from Twitter’s missteps, but it can’t rely on X defectors to continue to grow,” says Jasmine Enberg, a principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. 

A handful of glaring issues have left users with a bit of an ick for Threads:

• The app's limited discoverability, especially when compared to Twitter's suggested algorithm 

• Search functionality is restricted mainly to accounts, rather than being able to search broader topics 

• The ability to delete your Threads account without deleting Instagram (coming soon)

But will re-creating existing Twitter features be enough to save Threads? It isn’t really offering us anything new. Personally, I’ve moved away from posting and reading both Twitter and Threads, and am enjoying my niche Reddit communities a lot more. 

My two cents: we’re already burned out by social media, and the exodus of many users and brands from Twitter is a welcome reprieve, leaving us with one less app to check (and create content for).

Threads is still a major priority for Instagram, but will they actually make Threads happen – or is this just another BeReal fad?