Instagram is actively enhancing its separate messaging application, Threads. Last month, the platform was updated to allow users to message all of their connections, moving away from the “close friends” limitation previously found in its other messaging service, Direct. Currently, Instagram is releasing a revamped version of the Threads app, featuring improved navigation, a Status section, and the ability to share photos and videos directly to your Instagram Story.

These modifications address certain usability issues within Threads. While the app previously provided options for updating your Status, even automatically based on your location, navigating between the app’s various sections proved challenging.

The redesign aims to simplify how Threads users view and engage with their friends’ statuses and Stories, and to quickly access either the Camera function or their message inbox, all through a newly implemented navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. Instagram states that this navigation update, which includes the Status tab, will be available worldwide beginning November 19.

The recent change to the inbox, introducing a dedicated tab for “Everyone Else,” is also now accessible globally with today’s update.

Furthermore, Instagram confirms that Threads users can now capture a photo or video and share it to their Instagram Story, in addition to sharing it exclusively with their Close Friends within the Threads app. This functionality began its rollout last month alongside the introduction of the separate inbox tabs, and is now available to all users.

These updates signify a continued shift for Threads, moving it beyond being solely an application for maintaining contact with a limited group of close friends.

These Threads updates follow a period of significant changes to Facebook’s suite of mobile messaging apps, including Messenger and Instagram itself, which recently received updates to its own inbox. Yesterday, Facebook announced that additional features from the extensive Instagram messaging overhaul were now live, including an expanded co-watching feature, Watch Together, which now enables users to view IGTV, Reels, and TV shows together in real-time during video chats.

The platform also introduced chat themes, including a new option featuring characters from the seven members of BTS. In September, the company announced cross-app communication with Messenger for Instagram users who upgraded their messaging experience. This update included the ability to customize chat colors and react with any emoji, among other new features. Vanish mode is still planned for Instagram and is expected to be released shortly, according to Facebook.

These changes, primarily focused on Facebook’s core applications, may have prompted questions about the future of Threads – an app that has yet to achieve widespread popularity. As of this writing, the app is ranked No. 66 in the Photo & Video category and No. 1,031 overall on the U.S. App Store. However, these recent efforts demonstrate Instagram’s ongoing commitment to refining the user experience on Threads, with the goal of appealing to those who frequently use Instagram for messaging.

It’s important to note that some users may have already had access to these new features prior to today’s announcement, but they are now widely available.