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The Rise and Fall of Threads: What Happened?

Published on: August 2, 2025

When Meta introduced Threads in July 2023, it was marketed as a quick and easy substitute for Twitter that promised a "kind" online environment and seamlessly integrated with Instagram. A record-breaking 100 million people signed up for the app in a matter of days. However, Threads' user base shrank as fast as it grew. What went wrong, then?

1. The Perfect Launch Timing

When Threads first appeared, Elon Musk was running Twitter in a chaotic manner. Many users were looking for alternatives as a result of rate limits, contentious changes, and user annoyance; Meta took advantage of this.

2. The Instagram Advantage

Millions of users were able to onboard without any problems because Threads required an Instagram account in order to join. Massive early adoption resulted from this.

3. Lack of Core Features

Early adopters soon discovered that Threads lacked key features, including trending topics, a restricted search function, hashtags, and a proper web version, despite the hype. Twitter's rich functionality, which had been developed over a decade, was missed by power users.

4. Algorithm Overload

The feed on Threads was confusing to many users because it was dominated by posts that were suggested by algorithms rather than by users they followed. As a result, the app felt overwhelming, impersonal, and noisy.

5. Retention Problems

Although Threads got off to a great start, in the first few months, the number of active users fell by over 70%. Many users just went back to the platforms they were accustomed to because they lacked a distinct identity or value proposition.

6. The Fediverse Bet

In an effort to make the "fediverse" more open and decentralized, Meta revealed plans to integrate Threads with it, much like Mastodon. Although it was a brave move, it didn't immediately result in any noticeable advantages and confused regular users.

Conclusion

Threads had it all: an easy onboarding process, a disgruntled Twitter user base, and the Meta marketing machine. However, it lacked polish, vision, and the features that attract and retain users. Even though it hasn't died yet, its momentum has obviously stopped. Whether Threads can become more than a Twitter clone will determine whether Meta can bring it back or not.

- Sparklee from Krumb