by Key Takeaways
- Threads might be receiving a copy of Bluesky’s starter packs and a feature called Recommend Follow Lists.
- It’s unclear if or when the feature will go live, but it looks like Meta is testing it right now.
- Since the US presidential election on November 5th, Threads and Bluesky have both seen an increase in popularity.
The Threads counterpart of Bluesky’s “Starter Packs,” which offer thematic collections of accounts to follow, seems to be under test by Meta.
Chris Messina, a Threads user, discovered the flaw, and TechCrunch tested it by inserting a piece of code into the Safari browser on the iPhone. The tool offered by Meta seems to be called “Recommended Follow Lists,” but it currently just has one list—”NBA Threads.” Follow lists are “handpicked by people on threads,” according to the UI.
Neither Techopedia nor TechCrunch have received a response from Meta. Because of this, it is currently unclear whether the company is actively pursuing Follow Lists or when they would launch. Behind the scenes, IT companies frequently test out new features.
But in recent weeks, Threads has incorporated a number of Bluesky ideas, such as giving your followers priority and allowing bespoke feeds. That seems to be a reaction to Bluesky’s unexpected surge in popularity after the November 5th US presidential election. Since then, Bluesky has added millions of new users, and as of this writing, there are almost 23 million.
Since the election, Threads has also seen a surge in users. Dissatisfaction with X, which Elon Musk has controlled since October 2022, is probably the cause. Musk is a strong admirer of President-Elect Donald Trump, and even before the election, many were angry about several of Musk’s modifications to X, such as renaming it Twitter and reducing content monitoring. Some advertisers have left the service due to an increase in complaints regarding hate speech. A group of individuals are being sued by Musk for allegedly engaging in an unlawful boycott.
It is doubtful that Threads will face any immediate danger from Bluesky. With over 275 million monthly active users, Meta’s platform has many times as many users as Bluesky.
