Instagram’s standalone messaging app, Threads, will be discontinued by the end of December. Launched in 2019 as a way to stay connected to ‘close friends’ only, the app allows users to quickly send photos, videos, put up statuses, and chat with friends and family.
Instagram is closing down its standalone Threads app by the end of December
According to a new report by TechCrunch, the app will be deactivated by the end of December. From November 23 onwards, users will receive a message informing them that Threads is being discontinued. In addition, users will be redirected to the main Instagram app if they try to send messages through the Threads app.
On November 23, All Threads users on both iOS and Android will begin seeing the notices that the app will shut down by December, and Instagram’s Help Center will also display a notice that explains Threads will no longer be supported. When the app’s support ends, existing users will be logged out and the app will be removed from the App Store and Google Play. When the app closes down at year-end, all Threads features will be available on the main Instagram app.
When Threads was announced back in 2019, Instagram said it was advertised as a “new way to message with close friends in a dedicated, private space.” However, the app never caught on for Instagram users despite the company redesigning the app with a new UI design, improved navigation and Status bar, and more.
Now that Facebook is changing its branding starting with its new name, Meta, the company is also evaluating its offerings. The company told TechCrunch that it could better focus on improving its messaging efforts by not splitting its attention between two different apps.
“We know that people care about connecting with their close friends, and we’ve seen this particularly over the past few years with the growth of messaging on Instagram. We’re now focusing our efforts on enhancing how you connect with close friends on Instagram, and deprecating the Threads app,” an Instagram spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. “We’re bringing the fun and unique features we had on Threads to the main Instagram app, and continuing to build ways people can better connect with their close friends on Instagram. We hope this makes it easier for people to have all these features and abilities in the main app,” they added.
Read more:
