by Key Takeaways
- Threads is experimenting with AI summaries, new subjects in Trending Now, and new filters in Search.
- As of right now, Trending Now is only available in the US.
- While fighting off Bluesky, Meta might be attempting to entice additional users away from X.
Large modifications to its Search and Trending Now capabilities are being tested by Threads, Meta’s X alternative. These adjustments may be intended to ward off rivals like Bluesky.
According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, users may now search for posts in Search that belong to a given account or fall within a specific period range. In the absence of these features, users have occasionally had to scroll through the Threads search results to discover what they’re looking for.
Mosseri goes on to say that Trending Now in the US is receiving “an expanded set” of subjects in addition to discussion summaries produced by AI. There aren’t many details; however, meta-AI is probably used to construct the descriptions. Trending Now is currently only available in the United States.
One of Bluesky’s main draws may be content discovery. Users are urged to follow carefully selected feeds that compile information on various topics, such as art, astronomy, the conflict in Ukraine, or just what their friends are interested in.
Since the November 5th US presidential election, Threads and Bluesky have both experienced a sharp increase in popularity. Even before the election, users were dissatisfied with X’s (formerly Twitter) feature modifications and laxer content policing. Elon Musk, the company’s owner, is an outspoken supporter of President-Elect Donald Trump. However, with over 275 million monthly active users compared to Bluesky’s 21.5 million total users, Threads continues to outnumber Bluesky.
On November 20, Threads made bespoke feeds possible. The same day, it revealed that its For You tab would begin giving priority to more postings from accounts users already follow. Although the platform has developed quickly, it is unclear if it will significantly harm X, which may still have up to 600 million active users.
