Instagram to shut down standalone Threads app at end of year
Many features from Threads will move over to the main Instagram app.
Threads was released in 2019.
Threads, Instagram's standalone private messaging app, won't be around much longer. By the end of December, the Threads app for iOS and Android will no longer be supported. The move will allow Instagram to focus on messaging within its main app, the Meta-owned company said on Wednesday.
People using Threads will get in-app notifications pointing them back to Instagram starting next week, according to TechCrunch, which earlier reported the news.
Released in 2019, Threads was initially pushed as a "camera-first messaging app," a la Snapchat. It was meant to be a way to keep up only with people you designated as "close friends" on Instagram. Last year, Instagram rolled out a heavy redesign to Threads to help make it more accessible, allowing users to message anyone instead of only close friends.
Some of Threads features will be brought over to the main Instagram app. The company said it will share updates about those in the coming months.