Meta Threads hands on: A cleaner, friendlier Twitter

Is Threads Twitter, but better? Time will tell.

- MARK HACHMAN

With Twitter seemingly imploding in a new, spectacular way on a weekly basis, Meta has moved in with its own Twitter clone, Threads. The app for the new social media platform is now live for both Android and iOS.

Threads looks much like Twitter. Very much. You get to type 500 characters per post (versus 280 characters for Twitter), but your "thread" is aligned in a vertical hierarchy of posts, just as in Twitter, and the user interface feels right at home. Naturally, you have the option of replying to and liking individual posts following others and responding to their own threads, too. And, of course, you can post photos.

Threads leverages your Instagram followers-which is important, because there are at least a few other apps named Threads on the two major app stores. Download Threads, an Instagram app on Google Play (fave.co/3D6EimT) and Threads, an Instagram app on iOS as well (