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Meta is testing a more private way to use Threads. The tech giant is trialling Threads Friends, a feature that lets users share posts with a selected group rather than the platform’s wider public audience.
The feature works much like Instagram’s Close Friends. Users can build a list of up to 50 people and choose to share certain posts only with them. Meta launched the test in Ireland, Italy and Japan.
Threads will suggest people for a user’s Friends list based on frequent interactions. Users can then edit the list and add or remove people as they wish.
When someone shares a post with Friends, it will not appear publicly on Threads. Only people on the list can view it. The app will mark such posts with a Threads Friends label, making the private nature of the post clear.
The feature also adds a social layer to private sharing. If a person on the list likes or replies to a Friends-only post, other members can see that person’s username and interaction. This gives the smaller group a sense of shared conversation without exposing it to everyone.
The move signals Meta’s effort to make Threads feel less like a broadcast platform and more like a social space. Public posting can feel high-pressure, especially for users with large followings. A smaller circle gives people room to share opinions, jokes or personal updates with less scrutiny.
The feature also mirrors a broader trend across social apps. Instagram popularised Close Friends, while Twitter once tested Twitter Circle before discontinuing it. Meta now wants to see whether a similar format can work on Threads.
For now, the test remains limited to Ireland, Italy and Japan. If successful, it could change how people use Threads by creating a clearer divide between public posts and private conversations.
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