Threads Updates: Topic Highlighting & Reply Limits

Threads Receives Feature Updates: Topics, Reply Controls, and Enhanced Video Playback

Meta’s Threads, a social networking platform positioned as a competitor to X, now boasts over 320 million monthly active users. The platform is currently deploying a suite of new functionalities, encompassing topics, refined reply controls, and improvements to video playback.

These updates are designed to enhance user relevance and engagement with the network’s content. This comes at a time when Threads faces increasing competition not only from X, but also from emerging platforms like Bluesky, which has surpassed 33 million users.

Connecting Through Shared Interests: Introducing Topics

To facilitate better connections among users, Threads now allows individuals to designate up to 10 topics of interest on their profiles. Selecting these topics will surface related posts in their feeds.

This feature, initially tested earlier this month, is now being more broadly launched. It simplifies the process of discovering content and engaging with others who share similar passions.

When creating a new post, users will be presented with suggestions for trending topics or topics related to their previous shares. These suggestions are intended to broaden the reach of posts to audiences with aligned interests, according to Meta.

A redesigned topic tag, visually represented as a “pill,” will appear alongside posts in the “For You” feed. A simple tap on this tag will reveal all posts tagged with that specific topic.

Meta asserts that posts incorporating tagged topics “generally receive more views,” though specific data supporting this claim has not been released.

Enhanced Control Over Interactions

A new feature provides users with greater control over how others interact with their posts and the content they view. Users can now restrict replies and quote posts to only their followers.

This builds upon existing quote controls introduced in November 2024, which allowed limiting quote posts to anyone, followed profiles, or mentioned users.

Customizable Feeds and Improved Video Experience

In November, Threads began experimenting with allowing users to select a non-algorithmic default feed, offering an alternative to the standard algorithmic presentation.

Users can now reorder their custom feeds, even designating a preferred custom feed as the default view upon opening the application – a highly requested feature.

Video playback on Threads has also been improved with a redesigned video player. This new player features easily accessible pause/play and skip controls, alongside a pinned progress bar for precise video scrubbing.

Reintroduction of Political Content

Meta has begun to reintroduce civic and political content into Threads, delivering it in a more personalized manner.

Previously, in 2024, the company paused proactive recommendations of political content on both Instagram and Threads in anticipation of a U.S. presidential election. Following the election, Meta announced the resumption of political content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Furthermore, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg oversaw the dismantling of the company’s fact-checking program, opting instead for reliance on community moderation.

As part of this shift, political content is being reintroduced to user feeds based on Meta’s assessment of user preferences. This approach risks creating echo chambers, reinforcing existing worldviews without exposure to diverse perspectives.

Meta has stated its commitment to ongoing development of Threads, incorporating user feedback throughout the process.

Additional reporting by Sarah Perez.