Meta Threads app logo, July 6, 2023. /Reuters
Meta Platforms plans to launch a web version of its microblogging app Threads early next week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Threads crossed 100 million sign-ups within five days of launch, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in July, dethroning ChatGPT as the fastest-growing online platform to hit the milestone.
Threads has been setting records for user growth since its launch, with celebrities, politicians and other newsmakers joining the platform that is seen by analysts as the first serious threat to the Elon Musk-owned microblogging app.
"That's mostly organic demand, and we haven't even turned on many promotions yet," Zuckerberg said in a Threads post announcing the milestone.
The app's sprint to 100 million users was much faster than that of OpenAI-owned ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing consumer application in history in January, about two months after its launch, according to a UBS study.
Called Threads, the new offering is billed as a text-based version of Meta's photo-sharing app Instagram, which the company says provides "a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations."
The app is live in Apple and Google Android app stores in more than 100 countries, including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan.
(With input from Reuters)