Meta's Threads welcomes Google, YouTube, and other official accounts

Meta’s Threads is considered a hit, with 70 million sign-ups in two days. It also attracted Google and its divisions/companies to join the social network. Some of the early adopters include Google for Developers (@googlefordevs), Google Workspace (@googleworkspace), and Google DeepMind (@deepmind), as well as YouTube (@YouTube), which has already posted on Threads. Google (@google), with millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter, made its debut on Friday morning with a “Hey” and a Chrome Dino post. It also reminded users how to access the offline game on Chrome widgets for Android, iOS, and desktop: chrome://dino.

Google Pixel (@googlepixel) also joined today, and more accounts, like Android, are expected to follow. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) is also on the platform. Besides promoting their products and news, will Google and YouTube use Threads for customer support? That remains to be seen. But social support is a key feature of modern social networks and something Twitter was typically used for.

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Twitter threatens to sue Meta, accuses of poaching employees and copying its platform with Threads app

Image: Semafor

Meta may face legal action from Twitter over its new text app Threads, which Twitter says is a "copycat" of its platform. Twitter claims Meta hired former Twitter employees who used Twitter's trade secrets and intellectual property to develop Threads. Meta denies the allegations and says none of the Threads engineers are ex-Twitter staff. Threads is a text-based companion to Instagram that resembles Twitter and other text-based social platforms. It launched on Wednesday and attracted 30 million users in one day, posing a serious challenge to Twitter's dominance. Twitter's owner Elon Musk accused Meta of "cheating" and vowed to protect his intellectual property rights.

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Meta's Twitter rival might be coming on July 6

Screenshots: Meta

Meta's Twitter rival Threads is reportedly coming to iOS on July 6. The app, which was first reported in May, is a text-based conversation platform that integrates with Instagram. A listing was spotted on the iOS app store with that estimated release date. 

Based on the screenshots posted in the listing, users can keep their Instagram handle and follow the same accounts they follow on the photo-sharing app. They can also choose who can see their posts, and interact with others by hearting, sending, and sharing messages. 

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Instagram's 'Quiet mode' comes to Facebook

Image: Meta

Meta is introducing new features to help users manage their time and well-being on its apps, especially for teens. One is the "Quiet mode," which lets users mute notifications and auto-reply to messages that they are taking a break. This feature, which was first available on Instagram, will now be extended to Facebook. Users will also get a reminder to take a break after 20 minutes of using the app.

Another feature is a nudge for teens who watch Reels late at night to close the app and sleep. Meta said these nudges are designed to promote healthy habits and balance online and offline activities. Teens can choose to ignore these nudges or opt out of parental supervision altogether.

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