Meta is testing a new feature that could further strengthen interactions between its services. Meta’s microblogging service, Threads, which seeks to compete with X (formerly known as Twitter), is exploring the possibility of integrating cross-posting with Instagram. The feature will allow users to post images to Instagram and, at the same time, also upload them to Threads. According to TechCrunch, some Instagram users have noticed a new option in their account settings that allows cross-posting to Threads via a toggle in the menu. Users will therefore have to manually activate this feature and, at the moment, it is unclear whether the setting will remain active for future posts. As this option is still in the testing phase, it is not available to all users.
Currently, the cross-posting feature will be launched globally for a limited number of users first, then expanded to everyone over time, and will be limited to image sharing. Instagram Reels, or vertical videos, are not yet supported. This means that users will have to manually upload their videos to Threads, even if cross-posting is enabled on their Instagram account. An interesting detail is that posting an image from Instagram to Threads will automatically result in the caption being used as text for the post on Threads. However, Threads does not support the use of hashtags with the pound symbol (#) like on Instagram. Therefore, it is expected that the hashtags in the cross-posted caption will be removed automatically.
In addition to testing the cross-posting functionality, Threads is experimenting with other new features, such as automatically archiving old posts and introducing real-time search results for some users. Furthermore, a new tool has been launched that allows you to save drafts, take photos directly from the app and share content and stories on Facebook, taking advantage of a functionality similar to the cross-posting tool already existing for Facebook.