Threads Is Trying to Make Itself More Like Bluesky
Bluesky is certainly having a moment. The platform now has over 21 million users, and those users are active: posting, sharing, following new accounts, and creating starter packs for other users to join, too.
Meta is, no doubt, seeing this success, and wants a piece of it for its similar platform, Threads. While Threads has way more users at the moment (275 million as of November), the platform of choice in online discussions is, no doubt, Bluesky. We've been covering it accordingly.
Big changes to Thread's "For you" feed
Likely in an effort to compete with Bluesky's current popularity, Threads is making some big changes this week. First and perhaps most importantly, the service is adjusting its default "For you" algorithm, to prioritize accounts you follow over accounts you don't. Instagram head Adam Mosseri posed on Threads announcing the changes:
It's a good change, and resolves a problem Threads itself created. Threads, like other social media platforms, offers users two feeds. "For you," which displays algorithmically sorted content from both accounts you follow and those you don't, and "Following," which only shows posts from accounts you follow. The problem is, Threads always defaults back to the "For you" tab, even if you last left off on "Following." So each time you open a new Threads session, you're seeing content from people you don't follow, whether you like it or not.
These new changes to the algorithm, then, should make the situation better. You'll still see posts from accounts you don't follow, but less often, as posts from accounts you do follow show up more frequently. While you're still stuck with the "For you" feed by default, maybe the algorithm will be tuned enough where you won't feel the need to switch over to "Following" every time. Plus, as noted by Mosseri, the changes will emphasize engagement from followers rather than from unconnected accounts. Hopefully, that inspires more Threads posters to create content tailored more towards their audience, rather than towards what they think will blow up on Threads in general. That should shift content towards more localized interests, rather than sensationalized bogus.
In addition to algorithmic changes, Threads also rolled out custom feeds this week. These feeds let you choose a specific topic or set of accounts to follow, rather than simply scroll through the general For you or Following feeds. As it happens, Bluesky also has custom feeds, and has for some time now. Fancy that.