Threads is finally launching on desktop
Threads will soon have a web version, a much-requested feature that may be exactly what Meta needs to entice its diminishing user base back to the app.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the desktop launch is planned for “early this week” but plans aren’t totally final and could be subject to change. Instagram head Adam Mosseri posted on Threads last week that the company has been working toward launching the web version “in a week or two” but noted that it “still needs some work.”
Launched in July, the company’s text-first, X rival gained a whopping 100 million sign-ups in its very first week, surpassing ChatGPT as the fastest-growing app of all time. But Threads saw its active user base fall quickly after launch, with many requesting a more useable experience. As Mashable’s Chris Taylor wrote, “The lack of a web-based version made it simply unusable for those of us tethered to the desktop.”
Threads has slowly but surely rolled out new features since its launch. When it first arrived last month, crucial features were missing, from editable alt-text to a chronological feed. This month alone, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Threads to announce additions to the app, including custom alt-text for photos and videos, and a new mention button to tag other accounts in a post.
Zuckerberg also recently shared that a web version would be coming soon, adding that “the community here is on the trajectory” he expects in order to built a “vibrant long term app.”