Threads is adding the two most user-requested features
Just after its historic launch early last month, Threads began losing active and engaged users. The social media site is out to get some of those users back, though, finally adding two of the most requested features.
Over the next few weeks, Mark Zuckerburg said, Threads will be adding both a web version for desktop use and a full search feature.
Also: How to join and use Meta's Twitter rival Threads
The service technically is available on desktop, but functionality is limited. Posts can be viewed, but attempting to repost, like, or reply bring up a QR code that leads to the app version. Similarly, a scaled-back search option is available, but it can only search specific accounts and can't be used to search all posts to track down certain content.
In a post from his account on Threads announcing the new features, Zuckerberg said things were "on the trajectory [he] expects to build a vibrant, long-term app." He added that there was "lots of work ahead," but he was "excited about the team's pace of shipping."
The Twitter rival made a huge splash at launch with more than 23 million signups the morning after its launch and more than 100 million in the first week. But when it launched fairly bare bones, without many features people were accustomed to from social media, users quickly began leaving the service behind. Less than two weeks later, numbers showed a 20% drop in active users and a 50% drop in time on the app.
Also: How to set up and use Meta's Threads as a Windows 11 desktop app
Will the added features be enough to lure users back in? That's yet to be seen. But in a time when Twitter suffered a number of missteps, including a widely panned rebrand, a limit on the number of direct messages unverified (or un-paying) users could send, and even a limit on the number of tweets that could be read a day, the sentiment seems to be that there's room for another player to step in.