Threads' Long-Awaited Desktop Version May Finally Be Launching Soon

One of the major complaints users have about Meta's newly-launched microblogging platform — Threads — is that the platform is accessible only via its respective Android and iOS apps. Since launching to much fanfare in July 2023, there have been calls to open up a web version of Instagram Threads to its global user base. Heeding user demand, Meta Platforms, is close to launching the web version of Threads in the near future, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

While Meta Platforms has not put out a specific timeline for the launch of the web version of Threads, the WSJ report claims that the official rollout may happen as early as the end of the week (August 25, 2023). This is subject to Meta ironing out most — if not all — bugs currently affecting the web version that Meta is testing internally. The WSJ report also comes just a few days after Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, confirmed that the web version of Threads is currently undergoing internal testing at Meta Platforms and that he expects an official rollout in the coming weeks.

Threads initially took the internet by storm and rapidly reached 100 million downloads, making it the fastest app to hit that milestone. However, user engagement has since declined, partly it's believed due to the lack of a web version. 

The potential introduction of a web version of Threads will be a strategic move by Meta to compete more effectively with platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter. It would be interesting to see whether these measures alone would help Meta arrest the ever-decreasing user engagement levels on Threads, which has plummeted by approximately 85% since its peak shortly after launch.

The fall of Threads is almost as impressive as its phenomenal growth story. Soon after its launch, Threads hit a peak of almost 50 million daily active users worldwide, according to Similarweb, but that number has now dropped to less than 10 million as of mid-August 2023. In comparison, Twitter draws approximately 363.7 million monthly active users, as per data by Insider Intelligence. With Threads struggling to keep up, the introduction of a web version is seen as a crucial step to close the gap and compete effectively in the microblogging space.

Aside from the impending launch of its web version, Meta has been on a feature-rollout spree in recent weeks in a bid to sustain engagement levels on Threads. These include post notifications, a chronological feed view, and, more recently, it started labeling state-controlled media outlets following reports of state-backed media accounts with substantial followings on Threads disseminating propaganda.