How to Build an App Like Threads: The Essential Guide
Social media apps and platforms have become more powerful and an integral part of our lives. Let us be completely honest, you can’t stay a second without checking your social media accounts, to see what is new and all the recent news from your favorite celebrities, friends, family members, etc. We can’t even go out without sharing the moments on all social media platforms. Yes, it is that powerful. However, when we thought it was over and the market was too saturated for another platform to join, Mark Zuckerberg did what he does best. Read on to learn more about Meta’s latest creation and sensation, Threads. By the end of this article, you will learn everything about Twitter’s newest rival and explore how to build an app like threads.
What Is Threads?
Starting with an overview of the whole app, Threads is the latest talk of the town when it comes to the tech world. The app is built around the concept of text-sharing. This means that people can have public conversations and discussions that anyone can join in the form of threads. The application aims to create safe and open spaces for people to discuss any topic of their choosing. Threads was an app of secrecy, where previous teasers or anything else came prior to the launch. Up until Meta officially launched it in July 2023, it was only a rumor here and there. The app was able to acquire over 10 million users within the first hours of launching, breaking all records. Many celebrities and public figures, like Bill Gates, were among the millions who raced to join the novel platform.
What makes threads even more special is their seamless integration with other meta platforms. Instagram users could share their threads on their Instagram accounts, and vice versa. As Threads is considered to be part of Instagram. So basically, we can say that Threads is Instagram with fewer pictures and way more text.
Threads vs. Twitter (X): Who Will Win the Never-Ending Battle?
Threads, huh? This definitely rings a bell. Well, it is, and that is because one of the main reasons why Threads was developed was to compete with Twitter. Fun, isn’t it? It all started after the Twitter acquisition by Elon Musk, the owner of Space X and Tesla. Elon Musk took the platform to show off the big deal of acquiring one of the most renowned social media platforms. He then started making adjustments here and there to the policy, features, name, etc. Many people saw that what Elon Musk did was controversial and inappropriate and abandoned the platform. The platform is expected to lose 4% of its active monthly users.
Meta is another tech and social media giant that sort of saw this as an opportunity and expressed its opposition to this acquisition. And if you are not familiar with the Zuckerberg-Musk battle, you are definitely living under a rock. So, buckle up, because this might need another giant article. After Meta decided to take advantage of the situation, they kind of announced that they wanted to create a platform like Twitter to welcome all the users who opposed Musk’s new policies. Once again, Elon Musk took to his new platform to state his disapproval of this situation, and this is where it all went down. Since then, a continuous (and probably personal) feud has been taking place between the two owners over the matter, which we will definitely discuss in a more detailed article.
Top Feature to Include in an App Like Threads
Timeline
The main and core feature of the Threads app is the timeline. This feature also allows people to express their thoughts and share whatever they want in multiple formats, like videos, voice messages, videos, and text. This timeline usually sorts all the content from friends and followed accounts according to the date. This means that the most recent ones will show up first, and as you go down, the data on the threads will get older.
Personal Profile
A personal profile is also critical when it comes to building an app like Threads. Through this personal profile, the users could express themselves by either a bio, profile picture, etc. This personal profile also allows other people to learn more about each other and displays all the user's previous posts and interactions.
Real-time Notifications
It is also vital to keep users on top of what is going on and the latest news in real-time. The real-time notifications will enable users to get updated on all the recent interactions, likes, comments, etc. Any activity with the user’s accounts or with favored accounts will appear instantly.
Channels and Communities
It is great to find somewhere close where people with the same interests can communicate and get updates on their topics of interest. That is why channels and communities should be an integral part of your thread-like app. These channels and communities will match up to the main timeline, but every channel will be specified for a certain topic. For instance, movie lovers will have their own community or channel where they can only get updates and posts about movies.
Encrypted Messaging
As much as users will love to share posts publicly and engage in public discussions, it is also nice to have somewhere they can connect privately. An encrypted message feature is ideal if you are considering creating an app like Threads. As any social media application aims to establish a bond and a powerful community, this can’t possibly be done without giving people the opportunity to connect with one another closely. The encryption would also guarantee the security and safety of these conversations.
The Complete Journey of Building an App Like Threads
Understand the Purpose and Target Audience of Your App
An app's purpose and intended users must be well understood before development can begin. When used, how does your app help people? Who can make use of it most effectively? Discover who you want to reach and what they need by conducting market research. Your app's features and aesthetic can then be fine-tuned to better serve these users. A successful app is the result of careful planning and execution, and these are greatly aided by knowing the app's intended use and audience.
Conduct Market Research and Competitor Analysis
As you can see, the moment your app steps foot on the market, you will be surrounded by competition everywhere. Some competitors might even plan a cage fight. An essential part of building an app like Threads is exploring the market and analyzing the competition. You can learn more about the market, possible competitors, and entry points your app can fill by conducting market research. You should begin by looking at competing apps and comparing their features, user ratings, and overall success. This will help you find out where you excel and where you could use some work and alterations. To make sure your app is a success, you should research your target audience's demographics, interests, and activities. Making sound decisions and developing a unique app in today's crowded app store requires extensive market research and analysis of the competition.
Create a Detailed App Design and User Interface
Following an exhaustive exploration of the market and analysis of the competition, you must next develop a thorough plan for the look and feel of your app's user interface. This is a vital stage in making an intuitive, easy-to-use, and aesthetically pleasing app. What made Threads successful and Twitter before is the unique interface and design. Create a rough outline of your app's structure and workflow, including elements like menus, buttons, and screens. You could also create an interactive prototype of your app with tools or design software like Figma. This will help you to see how it will look and work before you start developing it. Also focus on developing an integrated and visually appealing design by giving thought to the color scheme, typography, and aesthetics as a whole. careful thought to the design and interface of your app.
Choose the Right Technology Stack and Development Platform
The next step in bringing your app concept to life is selecting the appropriate technology stack and development platform. An app's technology stack is the set of programs, libraries, and frameworks that will be used to create it like MERN and MEAN stacks. When deciding on a technology stack, it's important to keep scalability, performance, and compatibility in mind. You could also hire professional developers to take care of the whole process.
The next step is to settle on a development platform that works well with the technologies you've settled on. Popular platforms include Apple's iOS and Google's Android. When deciding, keep your intended audience and their preferred medium in mind. App store guidelines and policies, available tools, and feedback from users should be taken into consideration as well. Another safe option that will save you time and be sucked into this is no-code and low-code development platforms. Through these development platforms, you won't worry about stacks, different tools for multiple operating systems, and so on.
Is It Possible to Build an App Like Threads With Nandbox?
Now for the golden question, can you accomplish all of this using the nandbox app builder? Great question and the answer is definitely yes. The nandbox app builder already aces in the field of creating robust community, e-commerce, and lastly social media apps. Since the app-building platform is in a constant state of progressing and evolving, it always includes the latest features and technologies that enable users to create any app. Through nandbox, your idea will turn into reality in a matter of minutes or a few hours. In just this duration, you will have a fully functional app that millions of users can use.
The latest nandbox timeline feature also makes it an ideal platform to consider, along with the other mighty features, customization options, and one-of-a-kind pricing plans. All this guarantees the development of unique, appealing, and functional app-like threads. Try the nandbox app builder and join the notable app market that is definitely cage-match worthy!