Meta’s Threads Emerges as Threat to Twitter with 30 Million Sign-Ups in 24 Hours

Meta’s Threads has emerged as the first real threat to Elon Musk-owned Twitter as it racked up more than 30 million sign-ups in less than 24 hours of launch, seeking to take advantage of its rival’s much-weakened state after a series of chaotic decisions that have alienated both users and advertisers.

Users Look for Alternative to Musk-Owned Twitter

The flock to the new app, billed as the text version of Facebook parent’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, marks a sign that users are looking for an alternative to the social media platform that has undergone a series of unpopular changes since Musk bought it last year.

Threads’ User Base Expected to Grow with Instagram Integration

And with Meta already having more than 2 billion Instagram users who can directly link their accounts to it, Threads’ user base is expected to grow even faster.

Threads vs. Twitter: A Legitimate Rival

With its simple black and white feed, and features that let users reply, love, quote and comment on other people’s “threads,” the similarities between Threads and Twitter are obvious.

Will Threads Be the One to Unseat Twitter?

The question now is: Will Threads be the one that finally unseats Twitter?

Threads Could Quickly Become a Major Threat to Twitter

According to analysts and industry experts, Threads is a legitimate rival and could quickly become a major threat to Twitter.

Celebrities Flock to Threads

Dubbed as the “Twitter Killer,” Threads was the top free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.K. and the U.S. on Thursday, with celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Gordon Ramsay joining the app.

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg Touts Threads’ Success

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday said that 30 million people had registered for the app, including 10 million in the first seven hours of its launch Wednesday.

Threads’ Release Comes at the Perfect Time

“Whether planned or not, Meta’s release of Threads came at the perfect time to give it a fighting chance to unseat Twitter,” said Niklas Myhr, a professor of marketing at Chapman University, referring to the turmoil at Twitter after it limited the number of tweets users can see.

Threads Built Upon Instagram Platform

Meta says Threads provides “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.”

Threads’ User Base Outnumbers Twitter’s

Instagram users can log in with their existing usernames and follow the same accounts on the new app, giving Threads users a ready-made audience and an edge over other Twitter challengers like Bluesky and Mastodon.

Threads Resembles Meta’s Past Successes

Some analysts said Threads was reminiscent of Meta’s success in integrating crucial features of platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok in the case of Instagram’s Stories and Reels, respectively.

Positive Reception Boosts Meta’s Share Price

At least four brokerages raised their price target on Meta, whose shares have already doubled in value this year.

Threads Dominates App Store Rankings

Available in more than 100 countries, including Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan, Threads was the top free app in Apple’s U.S. App Store, while Twitter ranked 26. New arrivals to the platform include celebrities like Oprah, pop star Shakira and chef Gordon Ramsay – as well as corporate accounts from Taco Bell, Netflix, Spotify, the Washington Post and other media outlets.

Twitter Threatens to Sue Meta

Twitter responded on Thursday by threatening to sue Meta, according to the publication Semafor, citing a letter delivered to Zuckerberg by a lawyer for Twitter.

Data Privacy Concerns and EU Unavailability

Threads, which Meta says provides “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations,” arrives at a time when many are looking for Twitter alternatives to escape Musk’s raucous oversight of the platform. But Meta’s new app has also raised data privacy concerns and is notably unavailable in the European Union.

Threads Lacks Some Key Twitter Features

The launch was clearly a first stab at a service as it lacked the bells and whistles of Twitter.

Meta CEO Believes in Threads’ Potential

“There should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will,” Zuckerberg said on Threads.