- Threads have confirmed that users who have turned on sharing on fediverse platforms will now be able to see and like replies on posts.
- Posts originating via the Threads API will also be shared on fediverse platforms.
- Support will be available for apps Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Flipboard, and more.
Threads has yet to become the X (formerly Twitter) killer that it was touted as being when it first debuted last year. Despite this, the social media platform has slowly been adding more functionality.
The latest involves the fediverse, which is a collection of social networking services that can communicate with one another.
Having announced the release of the Threads API in June, the platform recently began making replies from fediverse apps like Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Flipboard, and more visible on the platform, along with the ability to like said replies.
“Since June, Threads users who are sharing to the fediverse have been able to see and like replies from the fediverse on their own posts in Threads. This week, we’re starting to roll out the ability for Threads users who’ve turned on sharing to the fediverse to see and like replies from people on other servers across Threads,” the company shared in a post on the platform.
Added to this, posts that originate from the Threads API or other scheduling platforms, will also begin appearing in fediverse messaging apps. The use of the API has already proved successful on sites/aggregators like Grabyo, Hootsuite, Social News Desk, Sprinklr, Sprout Social, and Techmeme.
As for why this is a significant move, it may not appeal to the general Threads user, but could prove useful to brands, businesses, and social media marketing companies wanting to expand reach of their posts.
As TechCrunch points out, it is also a counter to what X has done in recent months since Elon Musk took over the social media platform, by limiting access to its API, as well as removing its free tier and increasing the cost of access, which has alienated several communities that were dependant on it.
While this may not seem like a revolutionary addition in the short-term, it should prove important down the line, with Threads now gaining more capabilities to make it a fully fledged alternative to X.
