If you have been using Threads and want to learn about some of its hidden features, you have come to the right place! While the app still lacks some of the features mentioned earlier, such as a search for posts, a chronological feed, and a native toggle for dark and light modes. However, the company has confirmed that these features are coming in the upcoming weeks.
As Twitter puts more things behind paywalls and rate limits on its platform, Threads have become a popular alternative for users seeking a more accessible experience. We will share some of Threads’ hidden features in this article, so let’s get started!
Download Threads on Mobile
You can download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. To get early access, join the Google Play Beta Programme. While Threads is not yet available as a web app, you can use it on Windows via WSA.
Dark Mode on Threads
Threads have dark and light modes, but deactivating or activating them is impossible. Instead, the app matches your device’s system preferences. So, if your device is set to dark mode, Threads will automatically switch to dark mode, and vice versa.
Desktop Threads is view-only, and there is no functionality yet. To toggle between dark and light modes, click on the Threads logo.
Refresh Your feed.
Threads’ feed automatically updates but does not refresh itself. To refresh your feed, swipe down on the screen. While there is no chronological feed, you can prioritise your feed with the following settings.
Prioritise feeds from the People You follow.
This feature is not yet available on the Threads app, but you can prioritise your feed to show posts from the people you follow. Here is how:
- Open the Threads settings from your profile by clicking on the “burger” menu in the upper-right corner.
- Go to “Notifications,” then “Threads and Replies.”
- Scroll down to “First Threads” and select “From people you follow.”
- That is it!
Changing Your Username and Profile Picture
To change your username, you will need to update your Instagram username, which will then be reflected on Threads. However, you can change your profile picture and bio separately on Threads.
Sharing Posts to Instagram Stories or Feed
You can easily share your Threads posts to your Instagram story or feed by using the share button on the post.
Controlling Who Can Mention and Reply to Your Threads
By logging in to your privacy settings, you can manage who can mention you. From there, you can select “mention” and customise your preferences for everyone, the profiles you follow, or no one. To manage who can reply to your threads, go to the post and click on the triple-dot menu. From the prompt box, choose who can reply based on your preferences.
Turning off Irritating Notifications
You can pause notifications if you are not interested in receiving notifications from random people or when your friend joins Threads. Here is how:
- Open your Threads profile from the bottom of the notification list.
- Tap on the upper-right hamburger menu and go to “App Settings.”
- Turn off the toggle for “Pause All” and select “Followers and Following” if you want to pause alerts for followers.
- You can also decide which specific alerts you want to disable.
To customise your notification preferences, enable notifications for the profiles you follow.
You can also mute annoying accounts by returning to the post and tapping the triple-dot menu. Select “mute” from the pop-up menu and confirm your action by touching on “mute posts.” To unmute, navigate to the privacy settings from the Threads settings and select “muted.” From the list, tap on “unmute” for the person you want to unmute.
How to Follow Instagram Accounts on Threads
As we know, Threads is a part of Instagram and is synced. To follow Instagram accounts via Threads, complete these steps:
- Open the Threads settings and select “Follow and Invite Friends.”
- Select “Follow accounts from Instagram” and then scroll through the page to choose which accounts you want to follow.
- If you want to follow all Instagram accounts, scroll and tap on “Follow all.”
- That is it!
How to Limit Thread Usage
If you are overusing Threads or want to have some control over your thread usage, the company has an option for thread usage that will control how much thread you use. You can also use Android’s built-in Digital Wellbeing feature for this. Here are the instructions.
- Open App Settings by going to your profile and then clicking on the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner.
- Select “Account” and then go to “Take a Break.”
- Schedule a reminder to take a break on the screen every 10, 20, or 30 minutes.
- Tap on “Done.” That is it!
Threads seem promising and offer similar functionality and features to Twitter. Hopefully, this guide will remain helpful. If you have any questions, please share them in the comment section below. In the future, I look forward to more updates on the same.
