Meta’s Threads is ramping up its competition with X (formerly Twitter) by rolling out a new communities feature, directly challenging one of X’s core strengths: its ability to bring users together around shared interests. The move signals Threads’ ambition to not just match, but potentially surpass X in fostering topical engagement and community-driven conversations.
Threads, which launched as Instagram’s text-based social pla...
Threads, which launched as Instagram’s text-based social platform, has steadily added features to close the gap with X. Now, with the introduction of community groups, Threads is taking a significant step toward replicating—and possibly improving upon—the kind of niche, topic-focused interactions that have kept many users loyal to X despite its broader controversies[1][3]. The new communities function will allow users to gather in dedicated groups organized around specific interests, much like X’s Communities, where members can discuss everything from tech and sports to arts and activism[1][3].
The feature is currently in a testing phase, with select cre...
The feature is currently in a testing phase, with select creators and users receiving invitations to join early community groups[3]. According to screenshots and user reports, joining a community adds the group’s topic as an interest on a user’s profile and provides quick access to all joined communities via the app’s navigation menu[3]. Threads’ leadership, including head Adam Mosseri, has emphasized that this is just the beginning, with plans to introduce more tools that recognize active contributors and further refine the community experience based on user feedback[3].
For Threads, the strategic value of communities is clear. X...
For Threads, the strategic value of communities is clear. X has reported explosive growth in community engagement, with time spent in its groups up 600% year-over-year and hundreds of thousands of daily posts[1]. By offering a similar—and potentially more integrated—experience, Threads hopes to lure users who have grown accustomed to X’s community features but may be open to alternatives due to X’s ongoing turbulence[1][2]. The platform is also positioning itself as a more creator-friendly space, with plans to integrate decentralized protocols that would allow users to take their followers to other apps—a nod to the growing demand for user ownership in social media[2].
Threads’ community rollout is part of a broader feature push...
Threads’ community rollout is part of a broader feature push aimed at making the app more competitive. Recent updates include enhanced profile search, direct messaging between non-followers (with safety controls), and the ability to embed Threads posts on websites[2]. The platform is also testing a Community Notes feature, Meta’s answer to X’s fact-checking system, though this is initially limited to U.S. users[4]. These additions reflect Threads’ aggressive roadmap as it seeks to convert its rapid user growth—now at 320 million monthly active users—into deeper, more sustained engagement[4].
The introduction of community groups is not without risks. X...
The introduction of community groups is not without risks. X’s communities are deeply embedded, and shifting those loyal user bases will be a challenge[1]. Moreover, Threads must balance new features with user expectations; the platform initially attracted users as an ad-free alternative to X, but the recent introduction of ads has sparked some backlash[4]. How Threads navigates these tensions—while continuing to innovate—will be critical to its long-term success.
For now, Threads’ community groups represent a bold bid to r...
For now, Threads’ community groups represent a bold bid to redefine online conversation. By combining Instagram’s visual and creator-friendly heritage with robust text-based communities, Threads is positioning itself as a viable—and perhaps preferable—alternative for those seeking meaningful, topic-driven dialogue online. Whether this move will be enough to tip the scales in the ongoing rivalry with X remains to be seen, but it marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of social media’s next generation.
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 5:10:32 PM
Threads’ rollout of its new Communities feature triggered a mixed market reaction, with shares of its parent company Meta Platforms dipping 1.8% on October 2, 2025, amid investor caution over Threads' ability to regain user engagement from X. Analysts noted that while X’s communities have driven a 600% year-over-year increase in user time spent, Threads is still early in testing and faces a steep challenge to recapture market share lost after its mid-2025 user drop-off[1][4]. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the need for Threads to find product-market fit, underscoring that this feature rollout is a strategic but uncertain step to compete with X’s established community-driven engagement[4].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 5:20:32 PM
Threads is officially rolling out a new Communities feature with over 100 curated groups on topics like basketball and K-pop, aiming to foster deeper conversations within its app of 400 million monthly users. Industry experts note that unlike X’s user-created, Reddit-style communities, Threads is centrally moderating these groups and allowing non-members to participate, which Meta sees as a way to boost engagement by integrating community posts into public feeds while reserving special perks like custom 'Like' emojis for members[2][1]. Analysts highlight this strategic move as Threads’ direct challenge to X, where community engagement reportedly grew 600% year-over-year with 650,000 daily posts, indicating a strong market demand for focused topical interaction that Threads hopes to capture and expand upo
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 5:30:41 PM
Instagram Threads, Meta’s fast-growing X rival with over 400 million monthly active users, launched its new Communities feature on Thursday, October 2, 2025, with more than 100 topic-based groups—including dedicated spaces for basketball, television, K-pop, books, and more—where users can have focused, casual conversations[2]. Unlike X’s user-created communities, Threads’ groups are curated and launched by Meta, allowing anyone to view or join discussions, while members gain access to exclusive perks like custom “Like” emojis—a direct challenge to X’s engagement playbook as Threads seeks to siphon off topical communities from its competitor[2]. “The idea is to give users dedicated
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 5:40:31 PM
In a significant move to challenge X, Threads has rolled out its new Communities feature, which includes over 100 topic-driven group discussions, allowing users to engage more deeply with like-minded individuals. This feature, developed over a year, aims to enhance user engagement by providing dedicated community feeds and custom 'Like' emojis for participating members, similar to X's communities, which have seen a 600% increase in engagement year-over-year[1][2]. As of its launch, Threads boasts over 400 million monthly active users, positioning itself as a strong competitor in the social media landscape[2].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 5:50:33 PM
Threads has officially launched its new Communities feature, introducing over 100 curated group discussions on topics such as basketball, television, K-pop, and books, as announced by Meta on October 2, 2025, in a direct challenge to X’s popular Communities[2]. Unlike X, where users create and moderate communities, Threads’ groups are exclusively created by Meta—users cannot start their own—but anyone can join discussions, and posts from these communities will appear in both dedicated feeds and the broader “For You” feed, with a special label for visibility[2]. In a statement, Meta explained the move is designed to “give users dedicated spaces within the app where they can delve deeper into conversations on topics that matter to them
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:00:39 PM
Threads has officially launched its new Communities feature, introducing over 100 topic-based groups where users can join conversations on interests like basketball, K-pop, and books, aiming to compete directly with X’s community spaces[2]. Unlike X, where users create and moderate communities, Threads' groups are managed by Meta, allowing both members and non-members to participate in discussions, with membership granting special perks like custom 'Like' emojis and profile interest displays[1][2]. This rollout follows X’s reported 600% year-over-year increase in community engagement, with approximately 650,000 posts created daily, highlighting the growing demand for focused social interaction[1][3].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:10:38 PM
Threads has launched its new Communities feature globally, introducing over 100 topic-focused groups where its 400 million monthly active users can engage in specialized discussions, marking a direct challenge to X’s community spaces. Unlike X’s user-created and moderated groups, Threads’ communities are curated by Meta, allowing both members and non-members to participate, with unique features like custom 'Like' emojis and profile displays of joined communities[2]. This move aligns with X’s reported 600% year-over-year growth in community engagement and aims to capitalize on the global demand for more focused social interaction on these major platforms[1][3].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:20:48 PM
Breaking overnight: Meta’s Threads—now with over 400 million monthly active users globally—launched its new Communities feature on October 2, 2025, introducing more than 100 curated group spaces for topics like basketball, K-pop, and books, directly challenging X’s user-moderated Communities, which last March reported a 600% year-over-year surge in time spent and some 650,000 daily posts[2]. Unlike X, Threads communities are created by Meta, not users, and discussions are open to all—not just members—though only members get exclusive perks like custom “Like” emojis, a move already sparking debate internationally about platform control versus user autonomy in social networking[2].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:30:47 PM
**Breaking Update – October 2, 2025, 6:30 PM UTC:**
Instagram Threads, now crossing 400 million monthly active users, has launched over 100 official topic-based communities—a direct challenge to X’s user-created groups—with Meta handling all moderation and creation, unlike X’s Reddit-like approach[4]. U.S. federal agencies monitoring the rollout report no immediate regulatory action but emphasize existing records-keeping requirements: “We archive across all social media platforms, and we are saving screenshots until Meta provides the capability to archive with Threads,” said TSA press secretary R. Carter Langston, while the VA has paused its Threads activity to assess the platform’s compliance[5
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:40:51 PM
Meta’s Threads officially launched over 100 curated community groups—spanning topics like basketball, K-pop, and books—on October 2, giving users dedicated spaces for deeper discussions as the app now exceeds 400 million monthly active users[2]. Unlike X, where users create and moderate communities themselves, Threads’ groups are managed by Meta, and while any user can view and participate in discussions, only members receive access to exclusive features such as custom “Like” emojis[2]. Product leader Adam Mosseri previously emphasized Threads’ commitment to building “a space where [creators] can engage in public conversations that is friendly and that is open,” marking a direct challenge to X’s fast-growing community spaces,
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 6:50:47 PM
Threads has launched a new Communities feature globally, introducing over 100 curated groups where its 400 million monthly active users can engage in topic-focused discussions such as basketball, K-pop, and books, directly challenging X’s community spaces[2]. Unlike X’s user-generated and moderated model, Threads controls community creation and allows non-members to participate in discussions, aiming to foster broader engagement with features like custom 'Like' emojis and community-labeled posts visible on public feeds[1][2]. The international social media landscape is responding swiftly, as Threads leverages its Instagram integration and personalized community navigation to attract creators and brands seeking niche audiences, intensifying competition with X, where community posts exceed 650,000 daily and time spent in groups increased 600%
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 7:00:52 PM
Meta's Threads has officially launched its **Communities feature**, introducing over **100 curated topical groups** where users can engage in focused conversations on interests like basketball, K-pop, and books, challenging X’s established community groups model[2]. With Threads now surpassing **400 million monthly active users**, Meta controls community creation (unlike X’s user-moderated groups), allowing discussions open to all users with special perks like custom 'Like' emojis for members[2][3]. This rollout follows a year of testing and aims to enhance user engagement and content discovery, directly competing with X’s communities, which saw a **600% year-over-year increase** in time spent despite X’s declining user base[1][3].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 7:10:50 PM
Threads officially launched its Communities feature on October 2, 2025, introducing over 100 curated interest groups—from basketball and K-pop to books and television—directly challenging X’s user-moderated community model and signaling Meta’s ambition to capture more global conversation among its 400 million monthly active users[2]. Unlike X, where communities are created and run by users, Threads’ groups are exclusively Meta-curated, sparking mixed international reactions: while some users praise the ease of joining topic-focused discussions open to all, others in regions like Europe and Asia have raised concerns over centralized control and lack of grassroots moderation[2]. “We want Threads to be the place where people connect over shared passions, whether you
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 7:20:59 PM
Threads has launched a new Communities feature, introducing over 100 curated topical groups where users can engage in focused discussions; this includes dedicated feeds and custom 'Like' emojis for members, with communities displayed on user profiles for easy access[1][2]. Technically, Threads differs from X by having Meta create and moderate these communities rather than allowing user-generated groups, and posts from these groups appear broadly in public feeds, potentially increasing content reach beyond just members[2]. With over 400 million monthly active users, Threads aims to leverage this feature to boost engagement and compete with X, where community posts see about 650,000 daily contributions and a 600% year-over-year increase in time spent[1][3].
🔄 Updated: 10/2/2025, 7:31:10 PM
Threads has launched its new Communities feature globally, challenging X’s established community spaces by introducing over 100 curated topic groups to its 400 million monthly users, encouraging deeper engagement on subjects like K-pop, basketball, and books[2]. Unlike X, where users create and moderate communities, Threads centrally manages these groups but allows non-members to join discussions, broadening accessibility worldwide; this move comes as X reports a 600% year-over-year increase in time spent in its communities, with 650,000 daily posts, underscoring significant global demand for focused social interaction[1][2]. International response highlights Threads’ potential to reshape social networking dynamics by combining Instagram’s extensive audience with more structured, topic-driven interactions.