Meta said on Monday that its social network Threads has expanded the range of topics available through its communities feature, increasing the number of communities on the platform and adding new tools aimed at boosting participation.
Communities Grow Beyond Initial Launch
Threads first introduced communities in October with more than 100 topic-based spaces, including basketball, television, K-pop, and books. With the latest update, the platform now hosts more than 200 communities.
New additions include team-specific communities such as Lakers Threads, Knicks Threads, and Spurs Threads. Meta said the expansion is part of its effort to compete more directly with other platforms that organize discussions around shared interests.
Testing Flairs and Engagement Badges
Alongside the expansion, Threads is testing user flairs within communities. The feature allows members to display a customizable label beneath their username. Meta said flairs can be used to show team support in sports communities or to indicate roles such as author status in the books community.
The company is also testing a “Champion” badge designed to recognize highly active community members. Meta said the badge is currently limited to a small number of users who have large followings within a community and who participate frequently in discussions.
User Growth and Platform Activity
Meta said Threads surpassed 400 million users in August, two years after its launch. The company also reported earlier this fall that more than 150 million people now visit the platform daily.
Threads competes with platforms such as Elon Musk’s X and newer services including Bluesky.
Broader Focus on Retention Features
In addition to communities, Threads has been rolling out features aimed at increasing engagement and retention. These include direct messages, group chats, ephemeral posts, and other updates intended to keep users active on the platform.
Featured image credits: Julio Lopez via Unsplash
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.