**Meta’s Threads Rolls Out New Conversation Controls and Features as User Base Surges**
Meta’s social networking app, Threads, continues to evolve rapidly, introducing new features aimed at enhancing user experience and fostering healthy online conversations. As the company seeks to solidify Threads as a compelling rival to X (formerly Twitter), it is rolling out innovative tools that give users greater control over their interactions and the content they see.
**Greater Control Over Replies**
One of the most significant recent updates is the introduction of “reply approvals,” a feature that empowers users to moderate which responses to their posts are visible to the public. Traditionally, social platforms like Threads have offered basic privacy controls, such as limiting replies to people you follow, your followers, or only those you mention. While useful, these settings often come at the cost of restricting open discussion.
The new reply approvals tool strikes a balance between openness and moderation. With this feature enabled, users can keep their posts open for public replies, yet retain the power to screen responses before they appear to others. This means that if someone replies to your post, you’ll have to approve the reply before it becomes visible to the broader audience. According to Meta, this tool helps users “set the tone of the conversation” on their posts, ensuring that discussions remain constructive and on-topic. By giving posters—rather than the respondents—the final say on what is shown, Threads aims to cultivate more positive public interactions without suppressing engagement.
**Enhanced Activity Feed Filters**
Alongside reply approvals, Threads is also introducing new filters to the Activity feed, making it easier for users to manage and follow conversations. The updated filters allow users to sort replies based on specific criteria, such as seeing only responses from people they follow, or those that include mentions. These new options join existing filters like Verified, Quotes, and Reposts, offering users a more customizable and streamlined experience when navigating discussions around their posts.
Such filtering tools are especially valuable as Threads’ user base expands, helping users avoid information overload and focus on the interactions that matter most to them. By organizing replies more efficiently, Threads aims to reduce noise and highlight the most relevant or meaningful contributions.
**Rapid User Growth and Monetization**
Threads’ aggressive product development comes at a time of remarkable growth for the platform. During Meta’s third-quarter earnings call this week, the company revealed that Threads has reached 150 million daily active users, a substantial increase from the 100 million reported in December 2024. In August, Meta had also announced that the platform had surpassed 400 million monthly active users.
This surge in engagement reflects Threads’ growing appeal as an alternative to X and other social networks, likely bolstered by its integration with Instagram and Meta’s broader ecosystem. As more users flock to the app, Meta is moving quickly to capitalize on this momentum by accelerating its monetization strategies. Ads have been rolled out globally on Threads, and the company is now preparing to launch video advertisements, signaling a commitment to building a sustainable business model