Designing for social support, not likes and follower counts.
Threads is built using a design process that puts your health front and center. Rather than exploiting behavior-modifying technology to make profits from advertising and data-monetization (like the other big social platforms out there), Threads is steeped in research about how authentic sharing amongst trusted friends and family can improve your social wellness and keep you happier and healthier overall.
This research led us to make some important decisions about how we interact with one another on Threads, essentially taking the good parts of social media and ditching the toxic noise that has caused mental health issues and antisocial behavior on other platforms.
Threads is…
Real, genuine life updates... NOT highlight reels or popularity contests.
Real friends and family… NOT fans, followers, or influencers.
Private, 1-on-1 conversations… NOT public comment wars.
Stories from people you actually care about… NOT algorithms deciding what (or who) you should care about.
Ad-free and data-secure… NOT at the whim of Big Social and predatory data brokers.
By drawing a clear line in the sand, Threads is built to be a safe space to drop the “perfect life” filter and get real, together.
Building features that deliver on our mission.
You might be asking, “Okay, that’s all well-intentioned, but how does Threads actually do it?”
When using Threads, you will encounter some features that might seem strange (even foreign) despite the app looking and feeling like a typical social network or messenger. We promise, they’re intentional (unless it’s a bug, report those here). You can check out the deep-dives on these features here:
To connect with someone on the app, both people need to opt-in.
No pushes to connect with everyone you might know, no public profiles, and no following or subscribing.Choosing a hashtag (category) for your Moment is required.
Giving you a moment to reflect before sharing.Hand-selecting who receives your Moment or Check-in every time you share.
Not blasting everything out to the entire world.Reactions, replies, and conversations all take place in private chats.
No public commenting.
Sending separate, private links to people who are not on the app.
Not putting your story in public view or requiring others to download another app. (Unless they want to of course!)