Meta-owned Instagram Threads, a new Twitter rival has just received its first major update, weeks after its launch. Meta's latest Threads update comes for iPhones with a host of new features, including the ability to translate text from other languages and addresses issues that were present. The company is also rolling out a "Follows tab" to the activity feed that is likely to make it easier for users to see who is following them. Cameron Roth, the engineer behind Threads has given insights into the deployment of the new update.
"New @threadsapp iOS updated dropped today! Check out what we’ve been hard at work cooking up 👨🍳
👓 translations!
👥 follows tab on activity feed
🔔 subscribe to unfollowed users
❤️ activity feed scrolling + loading improvements
👀 following + on thread replies page
👆 tappable reposter labels
📸 open the IG followers list
🔧 a few small crash fixes. we're now at 0.02%📉
🔪 more binary size cuts
🐞 a handful of other small bugs," Roth wrote in a Threads post.
It should be noted that the addition of a Follows tab to the activity feed would streamline the process of following people back. The Instagram Threads for iOS app would now offer translations in other languages for post text.
Despite having a record 100 million sign-ups in just five days of launch, Instagram Threads has witnessed a decline in user engagement as well as growth, says data from Sensor Tower and Similarweb which indicates a decrease in daily active users and time spent on the platform. In spite of seeing a strong launch, it seems that Threads may face challenges in becoming a regular part of users' social network routines. Even if it sees a growth in new registrations, retaining them is not going to be easy.
Instagram Threads, which is a rival to Twitter, is following the latter's footsteps and imposing rate limits, or limits on how many posts users can view. An announcement was made earlier this week by Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, who posted that the platform has to get tighter on a number of things, including rate limits.