Threads launched last summer as Instagram’s take on a Twitter-style app. But in classic Instagram fashion, Threads is currently iPhone-only and doesn’t offer native iPad or Mac clients. The web version works well as a progressive web app, but chances of a native multi-platform option have been bleak.
Until today, when Threads launched its third-party developer API and made it possible for third-party Threads apps to flood the App Store.
Third-party Threads apps coming soon
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, writes:
Excited to announce the Threads API is launching today – you can now use your favorite third-party applications to publish posts, reply to others, see insights and more. Hope this helps businesses and creators manage their Threads presence at scale. As always, open to hearing your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve 🙏🏼
The Threads API launch means that third-party developers, like the teams behind the former TweetBot and Twitterrific apps, could build an alternative client for Threads that works similarly to those beloved Twitter clients.
When Mastodon began taking off following X’s downward spiral, it too became the source of a lot of activity among the developer community, with great third-party apps like Ivory debuting. Here’s hoping we see similar excitement and creativity with Threads apps.
9to5Mac’s Take
New third-party Threads apps for iPhone could be great, but I’m especially excited at the prospect of native apps for the iPad and Mac. It may take some time for new apps to debut, but I’ll be watching this space with anticipation.
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