Instagram’s Latest Snapchat Competitor Is a Dedicated App for Close Friends

Instagram is back with a new Snapchat competitor. After the company succeeded with Instagram Stories, it’s now introducing a dedicated new app that works a lot like Snapchat. It’s called Threads, and it’s essentially a dedicated messaging app for your close friends.

Instagram Threads is nothing more than a dedicated Instagram Direct app. It lets you message your friends just like you would via Instagram DMs, with some interesting new features. The interface of the app is actually very modern, with a couple of themes that you can choose from.

At setup, Instagram also asks you to set up your Close Friends list if you haven’t already. From there, you can share pictures, messages, and videos with your friends using the app just like you’d normally. The app doesn’t support AR effects just yet, which is a bit weird considering you can do that on the main Instagram app.

Instagram Threads features an interesting feature called Auto Status, which automatically sets your status by tracking your location and device details. When you are at a beach, for example, it will set your status to “At the beach” or when you are driving, it will set it to “On the move”, etc. It’s an interesting idea that also exists on Snapchat, and Facebook says none of your location data is stored on its servers, so you won’t have to worry about your privacy — as long as you believe what Facebook is saying here, of course.

Instagram says it’s launching Threads globally on Android and iOS, but it’s a completely separate app from Instagram which you’ll have to download from the dedicated app stores.