Instagram launch of Twitter rival ‘Threads’ expected on Thursday (July 6)

More than three billion people daily used at least one of Meta’s apps – Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – in the first quarter of the year, the company reported in April. — Photo by Luke van Zyl on Unsplash

Instagram’s highly anticipated Twitter rival is expected to launch on July 6, according to a listing on Apple Inc’s App Store.

The app, called Threads, will function similarly to Twitter, with text-based posts that can be liked, commented on and shared, according to examples of screenshots on the App Store listing. People will be able to follow the accounts they follow on Instagram and keep their same user name. Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms Inc, declined to comment.