What Are Threads?

Threads is a separate, text-focused app built by Meta and launched in July 2023, designed for short public posts, replies and discussions, and tightly linked to a person’s existing Instagram account rather than to Facebook directly.

Why Meta built Threads

Threads launched at a moment when a major competing text based platform was going through significant turmoil, and Meta positioned it as a calmer, more approachable alternative built on an audience it already had through Instagram. Rather than building a new social graph from zero, new users sign up using their existing Instagram username and can automatically follow the same accounts they already follow there, which gave Threads one of the fastest app growth rates ever recorded in its first days.

How Threads connects to Instagram and Facebook

You must have an Instagram account to create a Threads profile; there is no way to sign up independently.
Your Threads username, profile picture and bio are pulled directly from Instagram.
Deleting your Threads profile is possible without deleting Instagram, but deleting Instagram removes Threads too.
Threads is not directly tied to a personal Facebook account, though both are Meta products and can share some backend infrastructure and moderation systems.

Threads versus Facebook, at a glance

Feature	Threads	Facebook
Main content type	Short text posts, up to 500 characters	Mixed: text, photos, video, links, events
Linked account	Requires an Instagram account	Standalone account and login
Typical use	Public conversation and commentary	Friends, groups, marketplace, pages, ads
Business tools	Basic and still expanding	Extensive: Ads Manager, Business Manager, Shops

How to get started on Threads

Download the Threads app or use it inside Instagram, where it is directly linked.
Log in with your existing Instagram credentials.
Choose to follow the same accounts you already follow on Instagram, or start fresh.
Set your profile to public or private, matching your Instagram privacy preference or adjusting it separately.
Post your first thread, which can include text, images, video or a poll.

Common points of confusion

The most frequent question is whether Threads replaces Facebook, and it does not; the two apps serve different purposes and Meta continues to invest in both. Another common misunderstanding is assuming a public Facebook profile automatically appears on Threads, which is not the case, since Threads pulls its identity strictly from Instagram, not from Facebook.

Should businesses bother with Threads?

For brands already active on Instagram, setting up a Threads presence costs little extra effort, since the account is created automatically and the audience overlap is high. Threads currently works best for conversational, opinion driven content and quick updates rather than heavy visual campaigns, so treat it as a complement to an existing Instagram and Facebook strategy rather than a replacement for either one.

Privacy settings worth checking on Threads

Because Threads inherits its follower base from Instagram, it is worth reviewing who can reply to your posts, mention you, or see your profile before posting anything sensitive, since these settings can differ slightly from your Instagram defaults. Making your Threads profile private, if you had a private Instagram account, does not happen automatically the first time you join, so check this setting directly rather than assuming it carried over.