Hey folks, welcome to the video! Just give me one second while I delete an old app I don't need anymore—joking, not quite yet!

If you haven’t already heard the hype, Instagram has launched a new app called Threads. It’s essentially a Twitter clone, but it feels fresh, with loads of great features and some big questions to unpack. Here are my first impressions:

Photo and Carousel Features

One of the first things that struck me was how photos display on the app. If you post a single image, you can use any aspect ratio, and it will appear exactly as intended on the feed.

However, if you include that image in a carousel, it’s slightly cropped into a neat bar of photos for scrolling. Tapping into it will show the full image in its original aspect ratio. What’s great is that you can mix landscape and portrait images seamlessly—giving you the freedom to post any image you like.

Tap to Follow from the Feed

Threads introduces a handy feature: tap to follow directly from the feed. If someone you don’t follow appears on your feed, you’ll see a little plus button. Tap it, and voilà—you’re following them!

I’ve been using this to check if I already follow someone. It’s a small but clever way for a new app to help users connect.

No Grid Layout

Unlike Instagram, Threads doesn’t have a grid layout. Instead, it’s just a feed of the most recent posts, which appear at the top.

I love this change! It moves away from heavily curated accounts and makes posting feel more spontaneous—closer to how I use Twitter.

Discovery System

The discovery system on Threads is interesting. Right now, it’s showing me lots of content from people I don’t follow. While it’s not perfect, I like the direction.

I hope they tweak it to include content from people I follow engaging with others. For now, it has a Twitter-like feel, which is a good thing.

Linking Instagram and Threads

At the top of someone’s Threads profile, there’s an Instagram icon. Tapping it takes you directly to their Instagram account.

It’s seamless and could help build Instagram profiles through Threads. Similarly, linking an Instagram post in Threads ensures the image shows up—a thoughtful user experience feature.

Improved Sharing with Reposts

Reposting on Threads works like Twitter’s quoted tweets. What’s different is you can scroll through carousels and view images directly without opening a new window.

This makes sharing more seamless, especially for photographers and creatives. It encourages sharing and engagement without throttling posts, like Instagram stories sometimes do.

No Video View Counts

Videos on Threads currently don’t show view counts, which I find refreshing. It removes the pressure of performance metrics and encourages genuine interactions.

De-emphasized Follower Numbers

Follower counts are understated on Threads. To view followers, you have to tap into a different interface. This subtle design shift might reduce the focus on “follow-for-follow” tactics and system gaming.

Deleting Threads Data

There’s a circulating concern that deleting Threads data requires deleting your Instagram account. It’s likely because both platforms share the same data infrastructure.

While this raises questions about privacy, it’s more about data centralization than a malicious intent to trap users.

Threads vs. Instagram

After a few hours of using Threads, Instagram felt outdated to me. It’s unclear whether Threads will become Meta’s primary focus or remain a complement to Instagram, but it’s intriguing to see how the platforms coexist.

Decentralized Social Networking

Threads touches on ideas like decentralized social networking and ActivityPub, but these concepts aren’t prominent yet. It seems like the app is laying the groundwork for a new era of social media.

Final Thoughts

Threads is a fresh social media app with potential. However, you don’t need to feel pressured to embrace it fully or growth-hack your way to success.

Instead, use it as a chance to connect meaningfully with others and leave behind the metrics-driven mindset of old social media platforms.