Editable posts have finally made their way to Threads, Twitter’s aspiring rival. The move, unannounced, marks a significant stride toward making Threads a full-fledged Twitter alternative. Notably, this feature is free, whereas, on Twitter, you’re required to pay $8 per month for editable tweets.
I’ve been using Threads, accessible through your Instagram account, since its launch in July. Initially, it garnered explosive growth and was dubbed “the next big thing” in social media. However, its growth has slowed, and engagement has waned. Nevertheless, with Twitter’s descent into irrelevance, I’ve been hopeful that Threads would revitalize engagement and innovation.
Meta, despite its claims of not trying to emulate Twitter, has steadily introduced features such as a Following Tab, translations, and a long-awaited web interface.
Although this new feature is relatively small, it signals that Meta and Threads are ready to challenge Twitter on its own turf.
Twitter agonized for years over editable tweets, fearing potential harm to its platform and trustworthiness. Threads, seemingly less cautious, introduces the Edit Threads feature for free. It has a critical built-in control: you can only edit a Thread for 5 minutes; after that, deletion is your only recourse.
I posted a Thread with the word “test.” After posting it, I selected the ellipses menu on the right side of the Thread and found a new option at the top: “Edit Thread.” I used it, making edits as a timer counted down from five minutes.
During the 5-minute window, you can make multiple edits to a Thread. I edited my post twice. However, after five minutes, further edits are unavailable.
Missing Update
A notable absence in this otherwise great update is the lack of an edit history, a vital component. Presently, readers can’t trace changes, potentially leading to misuse.
While my personal Threads aren’t affected, envision a situation where someone edits a contentious Thread. It’s a significant omission, but I’m optimistic. Instagram oversees Threads’ development and is generally swift with updates. If they recognize this oversight, it’ll likely change soon.
Despite this, I appreciate the update, though I wish it arrived sooner to correct a typo in a popular Thread. Now, if Threads could integrate hashtags, direct messages, and polls, I might bid farewell to Twitter (X) for good.
