Facebook Is Developing ‘Threads,’ An Instagram-Adjacent Messaging App That Automatically Shares Location, Battery Life Data (Report)

Facebook is developing a new Instagram-adjacent messaging app that’s intended to let users constantly, automatically share personal information about themselves, including location data and their devices’ battery levels.

The app is called Threads, and, like Messenger is for Facebook, it’s designed to be a separate yet companion direct-messaging app for Instagram, The Verge reports. Like with most other messaging apps, users can utilize it to send each other text messages, photos, and videos. But other functions of the messenger include an opt-in function that automatically shares users’ aforementioned personal data with their friends.

To be clear, the version of Threads currently being tested is not designed to show a user’s actual geophysical location to other users. Instead, it’ll share information about movement — so, for example, if it detects a user’s location is rapidly changing, it might update friends to inform them that the user is “on the move,” people familiar with the matter told The Verge.

Threads reportedly will show users’ device battery levels (which admittedly will save on explanations if someone abruptly disappears mid intense texting session) and a constant stream of automated status updates. Users can also manually update their statuses for dissemination to friends. A user’s friends who are currently active in Threads will show up with a green dot, so folks will be able to tell which of their friends are online.

Threads will apparently also have an Instagram Stories integration — friends’ recently-posted Stories will show up in Threads, and will be watchable from within the app.

As The Verge points out, Threads may have its roots in Direct, a standlone messaging app Instagram was developing, but quit on in 2017. Its cited reason for ceasing development was that beta testers didn’t like being forced to switch to another app if they wanted to message friends. But, well, Messenger is a thing, so apparently adjacent messaging apps are back on the table for subsidiary Instagram, which Facebook acquired for $1 billion in 2012.

The Instagram team that was working on Direct was recently shuffled over to Facebook’s Messenger team, and Threads is currently being tested within Facebook — so it’s a safe bet that at least some of the now-defunct Direct team had a hand in Threads’ conception and/or development.

There is currently no information about when Threads will roll out to Instagram users.

It is worth noting that the design of Threads hearkens back to statements made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in March, when he released an open letter saying his ultimate goal with Facebook is to turn it into “a privacy-focused communications platform.” Part of that, he said, involves changing Facebook from its current state as a sort of “town square” into “a more intimate space like a living room.” While, yes, Threads is intended for Instagram users, there have been reports that Facebook executives want Instagram’s growing popularity to ultimately direct users back to Facebook — so Facebook’s vision for Threads may eventually circle back around to the parent company itself.