Instagram is planning to shut down its own standalone messaging app ‘Threads‘ by the end of the year 2021. The closure message of Instagram’s companion app was first noted by the reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi who recently posted screenshots on Twitter; Instagram could add a moderator option to live videos.
Meanwhile, Meta has stated that from November 23, the Threads messaging app will start notifying users to shift to the main Instagram app and connect with their friends.
Back in 2019, Instagram launched Threads following the closure of its yet another standalone messaging application i.e Direct.
The Threads messaging app was launched as more than just a messaging app. Rather than the conventional messenger app where users can just inbox, the Threads app was designed to share videos and images with your Close Friends. However, the app wasn’t welcomed well by the general public.
Additionally, Instagram tried to revive the app last year by revamping its design and adding a couple of new features as well as the ability to message everyone and not just Close friends.
But, all of Meta’s efforts went in vain as the Threads app saw a huge decline in its userbase.
According to popular news media publisher, ‘The Verge’, in 2020 the Instagram’s companion app had just over 200,000 users which is just a minute part of Instagram’s billion-plus user base.
Meanwhile, Instagram offers its users the option to co-watch videos, react with emoji, change the chat theme, and many more.
Besides this, the interoperability between Facebook’s Messenger and Instagram is being widely accepted. And, now Meta is working on including WhatsApp to offer a cross-platform messaging experience.
Instagram Confirms the Closure of its Standalone Messaging App
Confirming the closure of the Threads app, Instagram’s spokesperson Christine Pai said that over the years they have observed growth of messaging on Instagram. So, they are now actively working on improving the user experience and how users connect with their closed ones on the platform. With the focus on improving the Instagram app, it is shutting down the Threads app.
After hearing the spokesperson’s statements, we can expect lots of exciting new messaging features in the forthcoming Instagram updates.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest Technology News from various prominent tech industries.
