Instagram could launch a text-based app to rival Twitter by June 2023: Report
Meta platforms Instagram is planning to launch a text-based app to compete with Twitter and could debut as early as June, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Facebook’s guardian is testing the product with influencers and some creators.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Alex Heath said in a newsletter that Meta has been reaching out to talent agencies and celebrities to gauge their interest in trying an early version of the app, which will be integrated with Instagram.
“The decentralized app is built on the back of Instagram but will be compatible with some other apps like Mastodon,” according to a newsletter from Lia Haberman, who studies social marketing and influence at UCLA.
The report also states that parent company Meta has secretly made the new app available to select creators for several months. It is said to be separate from Instagram but allows people to link accounts.
As per screenshot Lia Haberman, the app will allow people to communicate with their friends using texts, shared links, photos, as well as videos. Moreover, fans will be allowed to join the accounts of the influencers and creators they follow on Instagram with just one click.
The app is also updated for security measures. To ensure the privacy of accounts, users blocked on Instagram may soon be moved to the new app. To add, this new app is also compatible with Twitter’s competitor Mastodon.
© Thomson Reuters 2023