Threads hits 500 million users and adds a feed control even x doesn’t have

At a glance:

• Threads reaches 500 million monthly active users, 100 million more than last August
• New "Your Algo" feed control lets users privately tweak topics for 1, 3 or 7 days
• Communities and live‑chat features roll out to the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand

Milestone: 500 million monthly users

Meta announced on Tuesday that Threads has crossed the 500 million monthly‑active‑user mark, exactly three years after its launch aimed at competing with Elon Musk’s X. The figure represents a gain of 100 million users since August of the previous year and puts CEO Mark Zuckerberg halfway to the one‑billion‑user target he set on day one. While Meta highlighted the monthly metric, it stopped short of releasing a current daily‑active‑user count; the last disclosed number was 150 million in October.

The company emphasized that daily‑user growth is “strongly” organic, noting a shift from Instagram‑driven traffic to users opening Threads directly. Meta also pointed to rising engagement in Asia, where average time spent rose 80 % in South Korea and 130 % in Japan year‑on‑year. A recent high‑profile joiner, K‑pop group BTS, added 4.2 million followers within days of joining the platform.

New "your algo" control rolls out

Alongside the user milestone, Threads introduced a private feed‑tuning feature called “Your Algo.” Unlike the earlier “Dear Algo” experiment, which required a public post, Your Algo lets users silently tell the algorithm to show more or less of a topic for a chosen period of one, three, or seven days. Requests automatically expire after a week, ensuring Meta retains ultimate control over the feed.

The feature is being deployed in a staggered fashion, starting with:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• New Zealand

This rollout mirrors Threads’ earlier regional approach, which saw the app reach the European Union months after its US debut.

Communities out of beta and live‑chat expansion

Meta is also graduating its “Communities” product from beta. Communities are topic‑focused spaces—ranging from basketball and K‑pop to books—now equipped with a discovery hub and contributor badges. The company credits these communities with “all” of its recent daily‑user growth, echoing a similar strategy employed by rival Bluesky, which leans heavily on group chats and community features.

The platform’s Live Chats, real‑time threaded discussions pinned to events such as the World Cup, will be available in every community by July. Threads head Connor Hayes described Live Chats as a “second screen” experience that fits the app’s quieter, text‑centric vibe in a world dominated by loud, video‑first social platforms.

Closing the timeliness gap with X

Threads launched without core social‑media tools such as search, hashtags, or a chronological feed, and has spent the past two years retrofitting them, including desktop direct messages. The introduction of algorithmic controls and live‑chat capabilities represents Meta’s bid to finally out‑host X on real‑time conversation while preserving a calmer tone.

Nevertheless, X still holds an advantage in sheer timeliness. By giving users a way to nudge the algorithm—though not fully hand over the wheel—Meta hopes to narrow that gap. Bluesky, by contrast, offers users full control over their feed algorithms, a level of transparency that Threads deliberately limits.

Monetisation remains a work in progress

Despite adding ads in 200 countries earlier this year, Threads is not yet a meaningful revenue driver. Meta’s chief financial officer told investors in April that the platform would not become a “meaningful driver” of revenue until at least 2026. The company’s growth narrative therefore focuses on user acquisition and engagement rather than immediate monetisation.

External tracker estimates had recently suggested a shrinking user base, so Meta’s 500 million claim serves as a rebuttal to those reports. While the monthly‑active‑user figure is impressive, analysts will likely await daily‑active‑user data and clearer monetisation pathways before judging the platform’s long‑term viability.