Instagram’s Twitter Clone Threads Reaches 150 Million Downloads
In its first week, Instagram’s new app Threads gained over 30 million users and surpassed 100 million signups within five days. Now, the app has reached a staggering 150 million downloads, according to Data.ai.
Confusion with another App Named Threads
A completely unrelated app called Threads, which is a Slack alternative launched in 2019, has seen increased traffic to its website since the launch of Instagram’s Threads. The reason behind this surge is that Threads (the Slack alternative) owns the domain name Threads.com, while Instagram’s version uses Threads.net. However, Instagram’s app does not have a web interface yet.
The Slack alternative made light of the confusion:
Surge in Downloads for Threads (the Slack Alternative)
Due to the confusion surrounding the two apps, Threads (the Slack alternative) experienced a significant increase in downloads. Between July 6 and July 12, the app had over 880,000 downloads on iOS alone, making it the 52nd most downloaded app globally.
The top three markets for Threads were Germany, Spain, and Italy. This could be because Instagram’s Threads is not yet available in the European Union, causing further confusion.
On Android, Threads now has over 1 million downloads.
Name-check
This situation of multiple companies sharing brand names is not uncommon. There are several companies called Lightyear, including fintechs from the UK and a Dutch electric car startup. There is also another startup called Threads, a chat-based shopping platform based in the UK.
Threads’ predicament is not new, considering that Instagram previously had a companion app called Threads. The co-founder and CEO of Threads (the Slack alternative), Rousseau Kazi, stated that “Threads is a powerful word and an internet native term.” He acknowledged Meta’s choice of the name and mentioned his positive experiences working with Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri at Facebook.
Potential Challenges for Businesses
If Instagram’s Threads gains more traction in the future, businesses may have to incorporate it into their social media strategy. This could lead to further confusion for customers of Threads (the Slack alternative), as companies would need to manage two separate communication platforms with the same name.
Threads confirmed ownership of the trademark for its name but did not provide further details or indicate if any action will be taken against Instagram or Meta.
