Threads is slowly ticking all the boxes of its missing features at launch and the next checkmark is going toward hasthags. Meta’s text-based social network giant has started testing hashtags for tagging topics or conversations.
While typing in a hashtag with a topic, it will not appear as a hashtagged word but as a blue-text hyperlink. Meta is only testing this feature in Australia for now as an initial “limited test” before it sees a global release. Here is what it looks like.
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Users utilizing Threads’ new tagging feature are restricted to adding a single topic to each post, a limitation likely aimed at curbing spamming tactics for wider reach. This limitation might be appreciated by those who prefer the clean aesthetic of Threads or those who disdain in-line hashtags. Meta has stated its commitment to refining this feature over time, indicating that this initial version is not set in stone.
The week has seen a flurry of updates for Threads. Meta introduced options to exclude Threads posts from appearing on Instagram and Facebook, allowed independent deletion of Threads accounts from Instagram, and introduced pinned posts for all users. Additionally, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri continued to keep users on edge regarding the fate of Threads’ direct messages.
Introducing all these features has gradually started bringing users back to the platform that Threads lost a few months ago. During October, the Twitter rival managed to double its daily active users as well as its daily monthly users. The app currently has 33 million daily active users and 120 million monthly active users.
The figures are still far from Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious goal of hitting 1 billion users, but at least it deserves some credit where it’s due.
