Instagram's text-based conversation app Threads has started rolling out a much-requested 'Following' feed that lets people see posts from accounts they follow in chronological order on the platform, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on July 25.
Zuckerberg said that they are adding translation features to the platform as well. Users can tap the translation button at the bottom right of the post or reply in a different language to view the translated text.
The posts in feed are translated automatically based on the language they're written in and the language settings of the person viewing it, the company stated. Interestingly, these feature announcements come on the heels of tech billionaire Elon Musk rebranding social media platform Twitter as X.
With this rollout, Threads will offer two feeds on its homescreen - an algorithmic-driven 'For You' feed and a chronological 'Following' feed. At the time of writing this article, the feature appears to be gradually rolling out to the platform's iOS and Android apps.
Instagram had launched Threads earlier this month with a limited set of features, in a bid to capitalise on the rising trend of Twitter users looking to migrate to alternative platforms. The app clocked 100 million sign-ups in less than five days of its launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer product across the world.
However, it has witnessed a significant decline in usage in the subsequent days. This feature addition may help to boost usage once again.
The company said it has also introduced new categories to help users filter their activity feed by follows, quotes, and reposts. One can also view posts they have liked in the settings menu as well as see a follow button on their followers list to easily follow other accounts back.
Private accounts will also have the option to approve all follow requests in a single batch.
To be sure, the service still lacks many basic features such as a fully functional web interface, an edit button, the ability to support multiple accounts, and for users to search for posts on the platform.
Many of these features are still in the works and will likely be rolled out in the future, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a recent post on Threads.
Also in the works is adding support for ActivityPub, a decentralised social networking protocol, that will make it interoperable with other apps that also support the protocol, such as Mastodon and WordPress.
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