Threads, the Twitter rival from Meta, has had a good weekend: it's now cracked the 100 million user mark just five days after launch.
However, while that's definitely making Elon Musk upset – his latest response involved calling Mark Zuckerburg a slur and challenging him to a penis-measuring competition – the app is far from finished. Like many new Threads users, a lot of my feed over the weekend was filled with people complaining about the many features the app doesn't yet have.
The good news is that they're coming, and the even better news is that you can try some of them before everybody else if you have an Android phone.
Threads is getting a public beta
You can’t access the beta versions of Threads on an iPhone, but you can on Android. You can sign up to be a Threads beta tester right here on the Play Store. And once you’re in, you’ll be able to access and test features before they come to the main app.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that right now, there isn’t a new beta for you to try. But, given the speed of Threads’ launch and adoption I’ll be amazed if the engineers don’t start bashing out betas rapidly and regularly.
I hope so, because some of the missing features are really very important.
What new features are coming to Threads soon?
The biggest new feature to be added is a chronological timeline: the current one uses an algorithm which, in my case, fills my feed with football, wacky wellness influencers and Z-list celebs I’ve already muted on every other social network.
However, that’s not the only feature on the wish list. You can’t currently use multiple accounts in the same app, which is a problem for people who have personal and work accounts (creative types in particular tend to have both) - that's soon to be recitified.
Also, you can’t currently delete your Threads account without also deleting your entire Instagram profile. A search facility is also on the card, while the app will gain support for hashtags, too.
Post editing is also a much-requested feature. Threads promises that all of these and more are in development.
Despite the missing features, I think Threads is really impressive so far: there’s a definite feeling of lightness and cheerfulness there at the moment. If you’re not one of the 100-plus million new users, here’s a straightforward guide on how to sign up for Threads.
