# Threads Provides Subject Tags on Profiles, Reply Controls and Video Updates

Meta has introduced a raft of updates for its Twitter clone Threads, together with an possibility so as to add matters that you simply’re all in favour of to your profile, up to date matter tagging for posts, reply controls, a video UI replace, and extra.

First off, after experimenting with the choice over the past month or so, Threads has now formally introduced that customers can add matter of curiosity to their profiles.

As you may see in these instance screens, now, you may spotlight matters that you simply’re all in favour of, and are more likely to be posting about, with customized tags that shall be displayed beneath your bio in your Threads profile.

That may very well be one other solution to encourage customers to faucet that observe button on profiles within the app, which has been a key downside for Threads, and a possible obstacle to its expanded development. As a result of with suggestion algorithms turning into increasingly attuned to every individual’s pursuits, based mostly solely on their in-app exercise, social media customers don’t actually need to observe profiles anymore, as they will simply depend on the algorithm to point out them what they need to see every time they log in.

The issue with that’s that creators really feel much less aligned to the app if they will’t construct an viewers, and see that follower depend go up.

As such, the Threads crew has been working to rectify this, by placing extra emphasis on posts from accounts that you simply observe, and including extra observe choices in-stream. And now, you’ll additionally be capable of record your pursuits, which the Threads crew shall be hoping helps to pump up creator follower counts.

And when a profile customer faucets on these matter tags, it should present conversations about that matter (second picture above).

Threads can also be trying to spotlight matters of curiosity throughout the publish composer, through new prompts so as to add a urged trending matter, or one associated to earlier posts you’ve shared.

The hope is that it will spark extra related conversations, and encourage extra individuals so as to add their very own takes on key discussions, sparking extra engagement.

Additionally, Threads says that:

“In keeping with our inner information, posts with tagged matters usually obtain extra views than these with out one, making them an efficient manner that can assist you attain extra individuals.”

Subject tags allow higher sorting, and improved discovery, and as such, Meta’s now making an attempt to construct in additional methods to spark trending, real-time engagement.

Meta’s additionally added some new publish management choices, so you may select who and the way individuals can work together along with your updates:

“Beginning in the present day, you may select to permit replies and quote-posts solely out of your followers. This builds on our Quote Controls characteristic, which we launched in November 2024 as a solution to handle who can have interaction with you and your posts.”

So, very like X, now you’ll have extra management over how individuals can have interaction along with your updates, which might be an necessary security factor for a lot of customers.

And with Meta additionally phasing political content material again into Threads, that would grow to be much more necessary. 

“Consistent with our announcement earlier this 12 months, we’ve up to date our strategy to political posts and have began phasing civic content material again into Threads in a extra personalised manner.”

The Threads crew had constructed political content material controls into the unique framework of the app, and it’ll be attention-grabbing to see the way it now seems to be to reverse course, and convey politics to the fore.

The perfect consequence right here is that it’ll make Threads really feel extra alive, particularly round trending political information occasion, as a result of Threads has, previously, felt prefer it was out of contact when, say, the U.S. election is occurring, and the highest story on Threads is a canine on a surfboard.

If Threads actually needs to usurp X, it must facilitate real-time dialogue, and this may very well be a serious step in direction of doing simply that.   

Threads can also be offering extra customization in your feed show:

“It’s also possible to now personalize the order of your feeds. As an illustration, when you’d wish to see a customized feed you’ve created once you first open the app, you can also make that your default.”

That’s a major addition, because it’ll allow you to revert to a key matter of focus as your primary Threads feed. That would assist to imbue a extra community-aligned really feel within the app, which might once more spark extra topical dialog.

Lastly, Threads can also be getting an up to date video participant, with new pause, play and skip buttons that make movies simpler to look at.

As you may see on this instance, Threads has additionally added a pinned progress bar to the participant, which can make it simpler to skim again and ahead inside clips. 

These are some good updates, which ought to assist to facilitate extra real-time, topical engagement within the app, and ideally make Threads really feel alive, and a extra real-time feed of the newest updates.

Which has lengthy been the most important knock on the app, that it’s like X, but it surely’s nowhere close to pretty much as good for maintaining with real-time information. That may very well be what’s stored many established communities from making the change, particularly sports-aligned teams, who’re the most important holdout on X.

Possibly, with enhanced capability for topical engagement, these teams will now see extra potential in Meta’s challenger app, which might assist it preserve its regular development momentum.