Within mere months since its July release, Meta’s Threads has garnered significant attention, becoming a formidable contender against X (formerly known as Twitter). Adding to the excitement, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the overarching company Meta, has recently unveiled two major enhancements to the platform.
Zuckerberg announced on Threads, “‘Rolling out Edit and Voice Threads today. Enjoy!'” Notably, unlike its counterpart X, which charges users for editing functionalities, Threads offers this edit feature at zero cost.
Specifically, on X, the edit privilege comes with a price tag of £11/month in the UK and $8/month in the US, accessible only to subscribers of Twitter Blue.
Users can readily edit posts on Threads by tapping on the three-dot menu situated at the top right corner of their respective posts and choosing ‘edit’. A crucial thing to note is the five-minute window available post-publishing for any edits. An icon will appear next to the timestamp to indicate an edited post, ensuring transparency.
Adding to the richness of content sharing, the new Voice Threads capability enables users to communicate more vibrantly. Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, elucidated the feature in an Instagram video: “When you go to the composer to write a new thread, you’ll have a new microphone icon there and you can actually record a voice note to add a little bit more texture to whatever it is that you’re sharing. And we will transcribe that voice note for you, so your followers can read or listen to your thread, whatever they pick.”
The community has shown immense appreciation for these additions. One enthusiast labeled them as “game changing.” Many users expressed their contentment and excitement. A comment to Mosseri read: “Wow! I love those new features! Great job, @mosseri.” Another user, praising the continual improvements of Threads, noted their transition from X and commented, “I broke up with Twitter yesterday. Especially since Threads just keeps getting better and better, why not. Bye Felicia.”
Threads, an offshoot of Meta – the corporate giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – primarily facilitates users in sharing textual posts, links, photographs, and brief videos up to five minutes. While Instagram predominantly focuses on visual content, Threads pivots towards “sharing text updates and joining public conversations,” as articulated by Meta.
Visually, the Threads interface echoes a lot of X’s design – showcasing a dynamic feed of latest posts. A user’s individual threads are neatly curated under their profile, sandwiched between their profile picture, username, and follower count.
For those interested, Threads provides the application free of charge. Yet, for a monthly fee of £10, users can opt for the Meta Verified subscription, symbolized with a blue tick next to their name.