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 new Threads messaging app can send automatic updates to your close friends

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If you keep a Close Friends list on Instagram and are keen on trying a new messaging app, you might want to check out what Instagram is cooking up. The company is testing a new Threads app, which is designed to be a standalone companion messaging app for Instagram. It's a way to contact your Close Friends list and share things like location, speed, and battery life. If those features seem to be familiar to you, it's Facebook's latest attempt to copy many of Snapchat's most popular features. The app will let you send automatic updates to your entire list of friends. It also gives you access to Instagram's full suite of creative tools, which include text, photo, and video messaging.

Facebook abandoned in May its previous attempt to make a standalone messaging app for Instagram. But it looks like the company wants to give it another shot, especially since its CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes that the future of its company will revolve around private messaging.

Source: The Verge