Most of Instagram’s additions are merely original ideas; you can Snapchat and rivals for some of the latest ones. People do chat on Instagram a lot and as a result, a dedicated chat app has been present on app stores, called Instagram Threads. Built to take on Snapchat with similar features in 2019, Threads is now getting discontinued.
Similar to the previous messaging app Direct, Instagram is axing the Threads app. Users will have to now rely solely on the main Instagram app for sending texts and Stories to “Close Friends”. Although Instagram is yet to announce this officially, a report from TechCrunch states an Instagram spokesperson confirming this move.
The Threads app was announced in 2019 as an alternative to Snapchat. Similar to Snapchat, you can chat with your friends and contacts, and even send them stories. Later, the app even included the ability to chat with anyone. Threads also lets you view stories of your favourite contacts.
“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,” said the spokesperson. “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.”
Instagram previously had a messenger app of its won, called Direct. The purpose of that app was to provide a dedicated text app for Instagram members without need to open the main app. However, it was axed eventually and Threads came soon after.
Threads hasn’t been as popular with die-hard Instagram fans, and most people stick to the main app for all their Insta needs. Additionally, the Facebook Messenger allowed users to send messages to Insta users, thereby offering a unified texting experience for both platforms.