Popular social media app Threads is embracing a signature feature its competitors have leveraged for years – hashtags. Though the company refers to them as “tags,” they serve the same purpose. Announcing the update, Threads CEO Adam Mosseri said the new capability expands search and enables users to organize conversations by topic.
At first glance, tags look and function like hashtags on other platforms. Users can click the hashtag icon to add an existing tag or create a new one. But Threads diverges from the norm in two key ways. First, only one tag can be added per post. This discourages spamming multiple popular tags just to increase reach. Second, tags allow spaces, so phrases like “Small Business Saturday” are options.
These differences promote more intentional tagging. With a single tag limit, users think carefully about summarizing the essence of their message. Descriptive phrase tags often communicate more context than individual words. The result isposts enriched with tags that spark more meaningful threaded discussions.
Searching and discovering tag-related content also has a unique approach. While some apps have tag-specific feeds, Threads incorporates tags directly into its standard search results. Posts with matching tags appear alongside other relevant content.
Adding tags mid-compose requires just a few taps. For existing posts, users can highlight any part of the text and apply a tag with the hashtag icon.
Hints about future changes suggest Threads aims to foster healthy digital conversations. Though different from other social platforms, restrictions forcing critical tag choices may position Threads as arefreshingly purposeful community.
