Bluesky’s success sparks global expansion of Threads’ custom feed feature
As the popularity of X (formerly Twitter)‘s competitor, Bluesky, continues to soar, Meta’s own social media platform, Instagram Threads, is introducing a new feature designed to give users more control over their content: custom feeds. This feature allows users to create personalized feeds around specific topics or user profiles, making it easier for them to tap into the conversations and communities that matter most to them.
Challenging Bluesky’s Personalization Tools
The launch of custom feeds on Threads comes at a time when Bluesky has been gaining momentum since the U.S. elections, with its adoption increasing significantly as users looked for an alternative to X, now owned by Elon Musk. Other factors contributing to this growth include X’s changes to its block feature and policies around training AI models on user data.
Bluesky has managed to grow its user base from approximately 7 million users just a couple of months ago to over 20 million today. However, despite these gains, Threads remains the leading competitor among X alternatives, with over 275 million monthly active users, thanks in part to its ability to leverage Instagram’s social graph and integrations with Meta’s other apps.
Addressing User Concerns
Some users on Threads have expressed disappointment with the platform’s decision to deprioritize politics, seeking more options beyond the default algorithmic "For You" feed and chronological "Following" feed. Custom feeds aim to address these concerns by providing a way for users to curate their own content streams.
Creating Custom Feeds
To use custom feeds, users must first search for and tap into a topic, which will display the latest posts related to that subject. From there, they can tap on the three-dot icon next to the search term and choose the option "Create new feed." Users can also add specific user profiles to a feed by visiting the user’s profile, tapping the three-dot icon above their profile photo, and selecting the option to add them to one of their feeds.
Pinning Feeds for Easy Access
After creating custom feeds, users can pin them to the top of the Threads’ home screen in the columns-based view (similar to Twitter’s TweetDeck or X Pro), making it easier to access these feeds and stay up-to-date on relevant conversations.
Topics and Applications
Some potential topics for custom feeds might include:
- Industry-specific updates: Follow the latest developments and news in a specific industry, such as tech, healthcare, or finance.
- Community engagement: Create a feed focused on user-generated content, allowing users to engage with others who share similar interests or passions.
- Breaking news: Stay informed about the latest events and news stories through custom feeds dedicated to real-time updates.
Threads’ Advantages
While Bluesky has gained popularity in recent months, Threads retains a significant lead among X alternatives, thanks to its ability to leverage Instagram’s social graph and integrations with Meta’s other apps. This built-in user base provides a strong foundation for the platform to grow and expand its offerings.
Future Developments
As custom feeds continue to roll out globally, it will be interesting to see how users adopt this feature and how it affects the overall Threads experience. Will custom feeds become a game-changer for Threads, allowing it to retain its lead among X competitors? Only time will tell.
Meta’s Strategy
By introducing custom feeds, Meta is taking steps to address user concerns about content curation and personalization on Instagram Threads. This move reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to adapt to changing user needs and preferences in a rapidly evolving social media landscape.
Conclusion
As the popularity of Bluesky continues to soar, Meta’s introduction of custom feeds on Instagram Threads marks an important step in addressing user concerns about content curation and personalization. With this new feature, users can create personalized feeds around specific topics or user profiles, making it easier for them to engage with relevant conversations and communities.
Will custom feeds help Threads retain its lead among X alternatives? Only time will tell.
