Threads Is Finally Giving Users A Chronological 'Following' Feed
If you were one of the tens of millions of people who downloaded Meta's text-based social media app, Threads, shortly after its launch, you may have been wondering when the app would get a "Following" timeline. Such a feed, as found on similar apps like Twitter, would allow you to read only posts from accounts you choose to follow. If this was the case, you'll be happy to hear that Threads is finally including such a feed, along with some other new features.
After smashing download records within days of launch, Threads lost some steam as its active daily user count seemed to drop. A big reason for that loss in enthusiasm was complaints that the app was filled with corporate accounts and other users flooding the timeline, crowding out posts from friends and people users actually choose to follow.
With the new reverse-chronological feed, Threads users can now have a more personally curated timeline and more easily see the content they want to see. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed this in a post on Threads after quoting a post by one user that had directly requested a Following tab, responding, "Ask and you shall receive."
How to find the new Following feed on Threads
You won't be able to access the new Following tab in the Threads app until you download the latest update, and that update isn't yet available to everyone. Though the latest app updates arrived on July 24, some iOS and Android users say they don't yet have access to the new tab. Once your app is updated with the Following feed, it will appear alongside a "For You" tab, just as with Twitter.
The "For You" feed will look similar to Threads' current default timeline, which uses an algorithm to predict posts you'd like to see, even if they're from accounts you don't necessarily follow. When you open the app, you can tap either the Home button on the bottom toolbar or the swirly Threads logo at the top of the screen. This will reveal the two-tab timeline. Unfortunately, when you close and reopen your Threads app, it won't bring you back to your Following tab.
Instead, you'll have to navigate back to it using one of those two buttons again. It's currently unclear if this process is permanent or if it will be made more convenient with additional updates. One bug that's popped up with the new update is that the Following feed won't load many posts at once. Presumably, this will be patched, as will any other bugs that pop up as Threads looks to quickly evolve and grow after its successful launch.
Threads is adding other new features besides a Following feed
Threads will also be adding categories for the Activity timeline, allowing you to filter your feed by Reposts, Quotes, and Follows. Additionally, a Follow button will be added to your list of Followers so you can easily follow those accounts back. An "Approve All" option is also being added to the list of follow requests for private accounts.
Meta is hoping for Threads to replace Twitter and become the social media "town square" not just for the U.S., but the entire world. That's why it's also rolling out translation features, making it easier for users to read all posts, even if they weren't originally written in their native languages. The translations will be done automatically. Another change is that new content will be added to existing posts on your timeline when you refresh the feed rather than just resetting the feed completely.
These won't be the last of Threads' changes, either. Despite losing some momentum after its huge launch, the app is already attracting 20% of the weekly active user base that Twitter is currently holding onto. Meta will continue to court Twitter users with additional features, including support for multiple accounts, and the "edit" button many users of the latter app have been requesting for years. It's clear that Meta is just getting warmed up with its new social media app. Users can expect Threads to keep evolving, and growing, for the time being. Just don't expect it to suddenly change its name overnight.