Though Instagram Stories has greatly helped the photo-sharing platform take a massive lead over Snapchat, it seems Instagram is still not content with its messaging feature. It has, therefore, announced a new camera-centric messaging app called Threads today to help you quickly share updates (text, photos or videos) with close friends.
Reports of the Threads app being in the works first popped up online a couple of months ago. Instagram is taking on Snapchat with its new messaging app, which provides you a chance to keep your close friends circle up to date with status updates and quick photo/ video sharing. I tried out the new Threads app last night and well, here’s everything you need to know about it
Instagram Threads touts a completely new interface, which relies on gestures to switch between the different panes. The app opens up on the camera UI, by default, and then prompts you to choose the close friends you frequently converse with. You then get the option to select up to five besties, if you say so, to see quick shortcuts to message them next to the camera shutter button.
The core functionality of the Threads app remains similar to Instagram’s Direct Message, including the interface of the inbox. You can capture pictures/ videos to share with your friends – that you can scribble on or add text to with ease. There are no filters available within this app yet and what I love the most are the gestures that make its use snappy.
One of the main highlights of the app will have to be Status updates. Yeah, Instagram is dialing it back to the older Skype days, but building on the feature by offering automatic status updates – enabled by default. Your status will be updated based on your recorded location over time and well, it works decently well. It set my update to “chilling” while I was in bed last night but you can set custom statuses with your own text and emoji for upto 4 hours, which is great.
And well, if you haven’t been able to activate ‘dark mode on Instagram’ (steps to get the dark mode right here) then at least Threads has got you covered. It lets you choose from among 5 themes namely Daylight, Twilight (similar to Twitter dark mode), Midnight (true AMOLED black), Aurora (bottle green color), and Sunrise. I love the Twilight one.
The launch of Threads means Instagram is finally ready to separate its messaging client from their photo/video-sharing app. It has, in the past, tried something similar with the Direct app but it was never released globally – unlike the new Threads app which is now available to try out on Android and iOS. Go check it out and share your thoughts in the comments section below.
