Is the Meta-Owned Threads App Adding a Web Version? Users Want Answers

The social media landscape is expanding with the arrival of Threads, Meta's answer to the increasingly complicated and controversial Twitter (which has since been rebranded as X). While Twitter reigned supreme for a long while, policy shifts under Elon Musk, like making account verification paid and limiting the number of tweets users can read at a time, have left it vulnerable to a competitor.

Enter Threads, which has immediately started creating waves because of its functionality with Instagram and its ability to give those who've become dissatisfied with Twitter someplace else to go. However, it's not all wine and roses over in the Meta camp. Users pointed out one big feature missing within the app. Did Meta respond to the feedback and add a web version to Threads? Keep reading to find out and learn why that's so important.

After toying with the Threads app, users began questioning its lack of a web version. Other social media apps, including Twitter, can be accessed and updated by going to their websites. In contrast, the Threads website doesn't exist yet. As of Aug. 23, 2023, it's merely a placeholder that directs people to download the Threads app.

Making things more confusing is Threads.com, an unrelated company that touts itself as a rival to Slack that has now gotten so much traffic that a disclaimer is up on its homepage.

A website wouldn't sound like such a big deal given how frequently most people use their phones, but it actually is. Every other major app has a web counterpart. So, by not rolling that option out at launch, Threads is automatically a step behind other platforms.

There are many reasons why someone would want a desktop version. Maybe they're uploading old vacation photos they found on their computer. Perhaps it's easier for them to access the app on web rather than stop and find their phone.

Whatever the reason, people want a web version of Threads. And, given the outpour of requests, Meta seems to finally be delivering. On Aug. 22, Meta announced via X that it would be "rolling out a web experience for Threads over the coming days."

Threads has plenty of momentum now because it's the new app on the block and because of the growing dissatisfaction with Twitter. Another huge plus is the automatic connection with Instagram, which means that Threads users can immediately follow and be followed by the same folks they're in contact with on Instagram. They don't have to waste time adding friends or telling followers where to find them.

But Threads can't replace Twitter overnight. Twitter claims to have 330 million users, and even if that number decreases now that it has a direct rival to contend with, that's a big user base. If Threads had decided not to create a web version, that's a whole section of the audience that it wouldn't be able to attract.

Hopefully, as promised, a web version of Threads will debut soon. Audiences should stay tuned to Meta's website and Threads account for updates, as that will likely be the first place the multinational technology conglomerate will provide them.