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Meta‘s new ‘Twitter killer’ app Threads is only days away from being released, but a cheat code lets you easily sign up.
Threads is closely linked with an account on Instagram, which Meta already owns.
To access the cheat code, all you have to do is type ‘threads’ or ‘thread’ into the Instagram search bar and you’ll see a small pink ticket emoji saying ‘admit one’.
Clicking on this ticket will bring up an animation of a revolving promo card with the Threads logo on one side and your Instagram username on the other.
A timer also counts down the seconds until Threads is released – at 3pm BST (10am ET) on Thursday, July 6.
Type in ‘threads’ or ‘thread’ into the Instagram search bar and you will see a small ticket icon saying ‘admit one’
A QR code under your username can be scanned to take you to Threads on the App Store, while there’s also a button at the bottom you can tap to set a reminder when the app comes out.
Threads is a free app that’s being described by Meta as a place where ‘communities come together’ to discuss topics through text – which sounds rather a lot like Twitter.
‘Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,’ the app description says.
‘Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.’
Threads could prove a masterstroke from Meta because it will let users bypass a lot of the effort involved in signing up to a new app.
This is because anyone who already has an Instagram account will be given a Threads account with the same username.
Threads is a new app from Meta, the multi-billion company run by Mark Zuckerberg (pictured)
Pictured, the Threads logo on the revolving promo card. Threads is being described by Meta as a text-based conversation app ‘where communities come together’ to discuss topics
Instagram already has more than two billion active users worldwide who have already handed over their details for the sign-up process.
Rival Twitter, in comparison, has just under 400 million active users, according to analytics firm Demand Sage, so Twitter CEO Elon Musk may genuinely be worried.
Musk has already been dismissive of Twitter rivals, including Mastodon, which saw dramatic peaks in new subscribers after Musk’s Twitter takeover.
But Threads could be a different kettle of fish because it’s backed by the multi-billion dollar heft of Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp as well as Instagram.
Threads has been nicknamed the ‘Twitter killer’ online amid animosity between the rival billionaires who have said they would like a cage fight with the Colosseum in Rome a potential venue.
Musk appears to be more keen having repeatedly urged Twitter users to delete their Facebook accounts, calling the social network ‘lame’ in the past.
Initially, Threads will only be available on iOS when it’s released on Thursday, so Android users will have to wait.
MailOnline has contacted Meta about the release date for Threads on Android.
Billionaire Twitter boss Elon Musk (pictured) just announced limits to how many tweets people can see
Musk revealed at the weekend that users who aren’t subscribed to its £11 per month subscription service Twitter Blue are limited to reading 600 tweets per day – although he later said this would soon increase to 800 tweets
It’s possible Meta has timed the release of Threads to capitalise on recent anger directed at Twitter, which has been putting more and more features behind a paywall.
Musk revealed at the weekend that users who aren’t subscribed to its £11 per month subscription service Twitter Blue are limited to reading 600 tweets per day – although he later said this would soon increase to 800.
It sparked the trending hashtag #RIPTwitter and caused ‘delete Twitter’ searches on Google to skyrocket 983 per cent in the UK, according to comparison service CasinoAlpha.
Twitter dropped another bombshell this week when it revealed TweetDeck will only be available to people paying for Twitter Blue in less than a month’s time.
TweetDeck – a desktop application that displays tweets in columns – was acquired by Twitter for $40 million in 2011 after operating as its own independent application.
