Meta's Threads app launches custom feeds amid Bluesky surge

(The Hill) — Meta's Instagram Threads began rolling out a new custom feed feature to give users the ability to build their feeds around the people and topics they are most interested in.

The feature was made available around the globe on Tuesday and allows users to search a topic or profile to curate their custom feeds. Users can now switch between the platform's "For You," "Following" and custom feeds by pulling down on the home screen.

The rollout came just days after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last week that Threads was testing the new feature.

The feature's rollout was largely seen as a way for Threads to keep up with microblogging platform Bluesky, which lets users build their own lists and feeds and set their own content moderation preferences.

Bluesky has experienced a surge in users this month, as prominent figures and companies announce their departure from the social media network X, owned by Elon Musk, in the wake of the presidential election.

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber said nearly 1 million users have joined the network each day over the past week. The platform amassed more than 20.7 million users as of Wednesday afternoon, according to statistics provided by Bluesky.

While Bluesky appears to be gaining traction, the network still has a way to go before it hits the usership levels of its competitors, including Threads, which touts more than 275 million monthly active users, according to Meta.

A spokesperson for Threads confirmed there have been more than 15 million signups for the platform in November, with about 1 million signups daily for the past three months.

Threads was released in June 2023 as a rival app to X, but within months its user base plummeted more than 80 percent.