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How to get threads on instagram


What is Instagram Threads and how does it work?

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(Pocket-lint) - Facebook-owned Instagram launched a new standalone app for you to download and try, back in late 2019.

Called Threads, it's actually a messaging app, which Facebook said is to be used by your closest friends for sharing text, photos, and videos. It's a companion to Instagram and therefore falls under the Instagram umbrella.

  • Instagram is hiding 'likes' now: Which countries can't see likes and why?

So, you won't see Facebook branding anywhere on this app. Here's how it works.

Instagram

What is Instagram Threads?

Threads is described as a "camera-first messaging app". Instagram said it's been coming up with ways to allow its users to visually share more, like through Stories or Direct messaging. Threads aims to expand upon that; it's specifically meant to help you communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos with your close friends in a "private" space.

Instagram

How does Threads work?

You can use Threads to share photos, videos, messages, and stories with your "close friends" list on Instagram - and you have total control over who can reach you. There are three main parts to the app: Camera, Inbox, and Status Screen.

Camera

Similar to Snapchat, the camera view is the default screen when you open the app. From here, you can take photos and videos. There are no filters available. But there are shortcuts to your close friends, so if you use Threads to message just two or three people, you pin their profile picture right to the bottom of the camera screen. To send them a picture, tap their photo and swipe up to send. 

You can choose to save all the photos and videos you take using Threads to your phone's camera roll or gallery.

Inbox

Inbox is basically your direct messages from Instagram, but in Threads, you'll only see conversations from your closes friends. Group chats are available, too, if everyone involved in the chat is listed a close friend of yours.

Status screen

Remember the AOL away message? That's the status screen. To create a status, pick an emoji, and type a status (or choose a generic status that Instagram created). Then, specify how long to keep the status. You can choose from one to four hours.

There's also an "Auto Status", which will update your status throughout the day. So, for instance, Auto Status might use your location to show your friends you’re "at a cafe", or if you're biking, that you're "on the move". Yes, this means Instagram is passively requesting your location, movements, network, and even battery level, but it promises to not store your exact location. 

Plus, at all times, your status will only be seen by your close friends in Threads.

How to add people as close friends

Threads works with your Instagram close friends list. If you don’t have a list, you can set one up on Threads when you download the app:

  1. Open Threads.
  2. From the camera, tap Home at the top.
  3. Tap the hamburger menu in the top left.
  4. Tap Close Friends.
  5. Tap next to your friend’s name to add or remove them from your close friends list.
  6. Tap Done.

To create a close friends list on Instagram itself, follow these steps:

  1. Open Instagram.
  2. Tap Profile icon in the bottom right.
  3. Tap hamburger menu in the top right.
  4. Tap Close Friends.
  5. Tap Add next to the people who you want to add to your close friends list.
  6. You can also tap Search to search for a friend.
  7. Tap Done when you've finished adding people to your list.

Instagram

How to download Threads

Instagram Threads is available for both iOS and Android mobile devices.

Want to know more?

Check out the Instagram Threads blog post or the Threads FAQ hub for more.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.

Introducing Threads for you and your Close Friends

October 03, 2019

Today, Facebook is launching Threads from Instagram, a new camera-first messaging app that helps you stay connected to your close friends.

Over the last few years, we’ve introduced several new ways to share visually on Instagram and connect with people you care about – from sharing everyday moments on Stories to visual messages on Direct. But for your smaller circle of friends, we saw the need to stay more connected throughout the day, so you can communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos. That’s why we built Threads, a new way to message with close friends in a dedicated, private space.

Threads is a standalone app designed with privacy, speed, and your close connections in mind. You can share photos, videos, messages, Stories, and more with your Instagram close friends list. You are in control of who can reach you on Threads, and you can customize the experience around the people who matter most.

Message Only Your Close Friends

Last year, we introduced Close Friends, for sharing more personal moments with a select group of people you choose. Now, you can use Threads to message those people on your Instagram close friends list and you’ll have a dedicated inbox and notifications just for them. If you don’t have a list set up yet, you can make one directly from Threads when you download the app.

Share Photos and Videos Instantly

Threads is the fastest way to share a photo or video with your close friends on Instagram. It opens directly to the camera and allows you to add shortcuts, so you can share what you’re doing in just two taps.

Find Out What Friends Are Up To With Status

We’ve heard that you want an easier way to keep up with your friends throughout the day – especially when you don’t have the time to send a photo or have a conversation. That’s why we created status. You can choose from a suggested status (📚 Studying), create your own (😅 Procrastinating), or turn on Auto Status (🚗 On the move), which automatically shares little bits of context on where you are without giving away your coordinates. Only your close friends will see your status, and it’s completely opt-in.

Status was created with your privacy in mind – you control whether you share your status and with whom. Learn more about privacy and Threads here.

Continue Using Instagram Direct As You Do Today

Threads offers a new, dedicated home for your favorite conversations. Messages from your close friends list will appear in both Threads and Direct, so you have full control over how and with whom you want to interact.

Threads will begin rolling out globally today on iOS and Android. We hope that Threads can bring you a little closer to the people you care about.

– Robby Stein, Director of Product, Instagram

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Change the topic of the chat on Instagram + 5 secret chips

Let me explain right away that the topic of the chat is not the main idea of ​​the dialogue. This is the ability to change the background in the chat. This has long been in instant messengers and just in SMS correspondence. Now the topic can also be selected in the direct, and how to change the topic of the chat in messages, and what other features appeared in the Instagram dialogs, I will tell in the article.

How to install the theme

Before we start to understand this and other new features of Direct, update the Instagram application. Since the "chat topic" function may simply not work for you due to the old version. Installation takes place in just a few clicks.

Step 1: Enter the dialog where you want to change the subject. In the upper right corner, click on the "i" icon, then "Theme".

Change Chat Theme

Step 2: Choose your favorite instagram chat theme and return to the dialog. A notification about which topic you set will be displayed at the end of the conversation.

Choosing and setting a theme

Below, after the chat theme options, you can customize the colors and gradients of the messages you send. But keep in mind that you cannot select both a theme and a gradient at the same time.

Colors and gradients

Other new features of Direct

In addition to the chat theme, Direct has other convenient and visually unusual things for communication.

Related:
Instagram updates: what's new + how it works

1. Live text

Now you can spice up your post. To do this, write the text, click on the magnifying glass on the left. Select an effect and an animation with the desired message will be sent to the user.

Animated message
2. Stickers and GIFs

You can send stickers and gifs in direct. The principle is the same, type the text, click on the magnifying glass. Next, you can choose a gif or a sticker from those offered, or you can find it through the search on the desired topic.

Stickers and GIFs

Interesting. You can quickly and safely promote your social network by boosting likes, reposts and views on publications. This is an inexpensive and safe way that will not make you wait long for the result. And most importantly, you will be able to increase coverage and get a hot target audience. Click and use -> TapLike

3. Reply to a specific message

Now, if you have received several messages in a row, you can send a separate reply to each. And if you have a group chat - answer a specific user. You can drag the desired message to the right and a reply window will appear.

Response window

Another way is to respond quickly. Just long press on a message and select an emoji. If you need other emojis, click on +.

Quick response

Essentials in a nutshell

It is extremely easy to use updates in the direct on Instagram, in particular the topic of the chat. But questions can still arise, so in the end I answered the most frequent ones.

1. What if I don't have the update?

You can update the application in any market. If there is no update there, check if you have updated Android or IOS to the latest version.

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2. Can I put different topics in different chats?

You can enable a new topic through any chat. And yes, in different chats you can customize the topics you like, or return the old ones.

3. Why don't I have all the new features?

This is not the first time that Instagram has released an update that is only partially available to people. Thus, developers test what the audience will like and what will not. There is only one way out - to write to technical support, more, alas, nothing can be done.

4. What should I do if Instagram becomes stupid after the update?

There are only two options: You can delete and re-download the application, but you need to remember your password for this. Or write to support, but most likely they will advise the same.

Related:
Instagram blog theme: 100+ ideas

how to make your own unique theme

Do you want to create a cool design for your Instagram feed yourself? Remember how just a few days ago (or even yesterday?) you were bored at your desk, lazily scrolling through your Instagram for inspiration, and then suddenly this image appeared on the screen, you clicked, got to the page and saw: one of the most beautiful Instagram designs In my life. To be honest, it was perfect. The color palette was flawless, the balance between the pictures was flawless, the content itself was original and very high quality.

Here you are.

At your desk, scrolling through Instagram, scratching your head, trying to figure out what you need to do to create your own Instagram theme like this.

I understand you.

Building a consistent Instagram theme for your account is a hard nut to crack. And yet, it is very important that any brand that is in the field of view of the company Insta, get exposure.

Contents

  • Why you need to have your own unique theme
  • Creating an Instagram theme is the most important thing in design
    • 1. Choose WHAT to post?
    • Path #1
    • Path #2
    • 2. Choose your color palette
    • 3. Warm or cool photos?
    • 4. Edit the same way
    • 5. Balance your Instagram feed
    • 6. Plan for the future
  • Conclusion

Why you need to have your own unique theme

Just look at these stats0003

  • More than 80% of Instagram users are doing business on the platform.
  • 2/3 of the visits to Instagram business profiles come from people who are not in the business.
  • Nearly 50% of Instagram users explore products on social media.
  • 30% of users bought what they saw on Instagram.

This data shows that more and more consumers are turning to Instagram instead of Google when they research and buy products. And just like the goal of your website is to keep visitors from bouncing, the goal of your Instagram page is to get visitors to stay, impress them with your general post, and make them want to hit the follow button.

That's why it's so important to have a consistent Instagram theme and a complete Instagram profile with a biography. The truth is that those who already follow you never rate your feed as a whole again. This is your future, the potential followers who see your feed in the first place and decide, based on its appearance and the impression it creates, whether they should follow you.

In other words, updating your information, improving your look, and designing your own authentic Instagram theme that instantly represents your brand is not just an option, it's a must.

The good part is that you don't have to be a super skilled photographer to be able to design an awesome ribbon. All you need to do is follow the 5 simple Instagram design rules that I will cover in this article today.

In this article you will learn:

  • The importance of having a good channel for Instagram
  • How to align Instagram goals with the Instagram theme
  • How to choose an Instagram theme that makes sense for your brand
  • What useful tools, tips and tricks you can use to create and plan an Instagram channel.

Sounds good? Then let's dive in!

Creating an Instagram theme is the most important thing in design

1. Choose WHAT to publish?

Before you start taking photos, editing photos and posting them to the news feed, you will need to do a little homework.

Your Instagram theme should reflect what makes sense for your business and align with your business goals. What do you need to sell and promote? Is this a range of products? Or certain services?

Memories of why you are actually on Instagram and what you hope to achieve will define your content.

Because it's not about how you edit, it's about what you publish.

Let me reiterate so that it stays with you: it's not about how you edit, it's about what you post.

It doesn't matter if you apply the same filter over and over to all your posts, trying to create that "consistent feed look" everyone is talking about. If your real content sucks, you just can't create that unforgettable Instagram profile.

So Instagram styling starts with deciding what content you need to create and what should be the main focus of your profile.

In order to make this decision, you can look at what has already worked well for you and what posts your followers interact with the most. According to National Geographic, for example, their followers are most interested in posts about animals, especially if it's a close-up. In contrast, they are much less likely to work with photographs of people, especially if it is a distant shot.

National Geographic's social media team seems to understand this very well, as when you look at their feed as a whole, they tend to have more animals than people.

Build an Instagram theme based on posts that have proven to work. There are two ways to define these positions.

Path #1

  • Take a look at the latest posts from your Instagram feed.
  • Divide photos into categories (eg people, nature, food, cityscape, products, etc.).
  • Calculate the engagement rate that each photo in each category receives.

Path No. 2

Use various Instagram analytics services to obtain information.

Matt Benfield, an Instagram influencer with over 50,000 followers, shares the same advice, but also reminds us to keep quality in mind. Regarding his own Instagram artwork, he says:

Matt Benfield

“There is a lot to be done in deciding what to post on any given day. As you can see from my channel, all my posts have me in them. The fact is that this is where my highest activity lies, as opposed to filming food or other types of lifestyle. But above all, no matter what post I posted, quality is the name of the game. If I have a photo shoot and I don't get quality shots from it, I'm not going to post them just like that. Even if I don't post on Instagram for a few days because I'm trying to get the perfect shot, it's worth it. Quality is always more important to me than quantity!”

Creating quality Instagram content is the first step to creating quality Instagram design.

If you can't figure out your best Instagram story posts (let's say you're new to Instagram, or you've been posting a little inconsistently), experiment first. Create content, use different formats (photos, galleries, videos) and different types of content (people, nature, products, etc. ) to see which one is right for you.

Another important thing to keep in mind is being creative with what you post. Marco Medic, a well-known Instagram lifestyle blogger, says one of the key ways to create a killer feed is to take a different approach to everyday situations. Think outside the box - create something new, even if you shoot an ordinary product in an ordinary place:

Marko Medic

"I'm always trying to push myself to create something that you don't see in all other sources, and also trying to get the 'artistic self' out into the world"

In summary, when you decide WHAT you want to post, make sure each post is: your brand is a B2B business).

  • High quality (ie don't post photos with poor resolution).
  • Be creative (offer something new and creative).
  • And, most importantly, speaks to the target audience of (i.e. you have done your research and know what content your subscribers like).

    • In a nutshell, these are the three key elements of a successful Instagram content strategy that leads to a successful Instagram theme.

    Once your content strategy is clear, you will need to think about your branding, especially your colors.

    2. Choose Your Color Palette

    Integrating brand colors into your posts is ultimately the easiest way to create a cohesive Instagram theme. Here's a small example from Shopify that uses turquoise, one of their signature colors, once in every row of the feed.

    In this way, the brand creates a consistent color palette that is easy to rely on when you need to decide what to post next.

    There are millions of examples on Instagram where a user or brand has chosen one (or just a few) certain colors and stuck to them. You saw them.

    Sometimes it is yellow.

    Sometimes it is grey.

    And sometimes pink.

    The important thing is that you choose a few primary colors (up to three) that will dominate your feed and appear at least once in each row. You can also choose two primary colors, but no more.

    If you can't figure out what your color should be, don't stress. According to Alex Armitage, photographer at Fstoppers, you can experiment first to see what works for you.

    Alex Armitage

    “My Instagram theme is constantly changing. I used to post in blocks of 9 photos where everything matches, be it black and white, blue ocean scenes, sunrises, etc. After that, I tried something new: I posted 30 photos in 30 days with the same look to see the results. And now I'm trying to make a blue-green/orange/blue layout to see how it will look."

    3. Warm or cold photos?

    Another question to ask yourself: are my photos cold or warm?

    Now I know what you're thinking: “Measuring the temperature of my photos? Are you feeling well?!" 🙈

    Please bear with me.

    While the temperature of the content may be a little less obvious than the color palette, choosing a warm or cool tone for your ribbon is a great way to keep it consistent. Applying warmer colors will give you a yellow tint, while cooler colors will look a bit more blue.

    Anastasia from @amsta.gangsta, a well-known Amsterdam lifestyle blogger, says she always shoots in daylight so that the photos have the same temperature.

    Anastasia (amsta.gangsta)

    “I shoot in daylight and always try to have something white in the background to match the photos. I also try to keep the photos at the same temperature (a little colder in winter, a little warmer in summer). And I also have a second, personal account that I use to see what the channel will look like beforehand.”

    If you take pictures at different times of the day, they will look different. You do not want this. You want a uniform feel for the entire tape.

    4. Edit the Same Way

    Now that you've taken the shots in the same light, you need to edit them in the same way to get the same look.

    Most Instagram pros use Lightroom presets.

    Meredith Braden, a photographer with over 30,000 followers on Insta, said: “I'm a professional photographer and graphic designer, so I shoot everything with my camera and then edit using a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. I make sure that the editing is consistent and that the tones blend well with each other. Only Instagram Stories are filmed and edited on my phone!”

    Photo editing applications:

    • A Color Story (lots of filters + highlights)
    • VSCO
    • Snapseed (has a very good editing brush)
    • Litely (from the creator of the original Instagram filters)

    All of these applications allow you to create and save your own filter combinations to apply them to your photos over and over again.

    5. Balance your Instagram Feed

    Now that you know you have to shoot in the same light and edit the same, the last step is to arrange your shots so that you get the perfect balance between shots.

    By that I mean: don't post the same messages over and over again. Instead, rotate your posts for variety is a tip from Kelsey Simone, a fashion and beauty blogger with nearly 800K Instagram followers. She says: “I categorize [my photos] into categories: selfies, clothing photos, product shots, and fillers. This is a rotation. For example, if I post a selfie, I don't want to post a selfie right after."

    In other words, while it can be tempting to showcase your product over and over again, you need to position it and blend it with inspirational shots or lifestyle - or whatever, really - so that it doesn't look like annoyingly repetitive, but also to create more a holistic view of your brand.

    You need an app to plan your feed. Apps like Postingram are great for scheduling posts.

    One more thing: when you post your photos in the feed, the rule is to hold them back. By that I mean don't post uploaded photos next to each other - your feed will look cluttered. Use the so-called negative space, i.e. an empty background or borders that are not filled with any elements. This will help you achieve a balanced ribbon appearance.

    6. Plan for the future

    Last advice. Although we have touched on this topic a couple of times already, it is worth noting that when planning your own Instagram design, you should always keep in mind the speed with which you can create quality content. In other words, don't forget about the consistency of your posts.

    When planning your pitch, it's easy to get carried away with your content strategy and assume that you can do more than you actually can. If you start posting once a day, or even multiple times a day, your followers will expect you to follow the schedule you set for yourself. But if you run out of content in a month or two and struggle to create more at the same rate, your followers will hit the unsubscribe button and probably never come back.

    Plan ahead. Use a calendar. This is what the cool guys on Instagram do.

    Conclusion

    Instagram styling can be a daunting task at first, but if you follow the 5 rules outlined in this article, it will become easier for you to master it.

    Learn more