Instagram to shut down Threads, display notice to users

Threads debuted in 2019 as a replacement for Direct

Instagram will be shutting down its standalone messaging app, Threads, by the end of 2021. The Meta-owned social media platform announced that it would pull the service offline by the end of December and it will display a notice to Threads users starting November 23.

Threads started as a dedicated messaging app for Instagram, similar to Facebook Messenger, with dedicated features and a new interface but over time many of its features were introduced to the main Instagram app.

As TechCrunch reported, Threads was a replacement for Direct, another standalone messaging app which was gutted and then incorporated as a tab into Instagram's main app. Like Direct, Threads received little support and never built up a user base that could be comparable to Instagram.

The company tried to give it new life in 2020 with an interface redesign but by then, it was already too late.

Speaking with TechCrunch, an Instagram spokesperson told the publication, "We know that people care about connecting with their close friends, and we’ve seen this particularly over the past few years with the growth of messaging on Instagram. We’re now focusing our efforts on enhancing how you connect with close friends on Instagram, and deprecating the Threads app."

Instagram also said that they would be bringing all the core features from Threads to the main Instagram app and they will be, "continuing to build ways people can better connect with their close friends on Instagram."

Starting November 23, all Threads users will start seeing a notice about the imminent shut down by the end of December.