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Meta has started a new experiment with ‘text attachment’ feature. On its social media platform, Threads, the company is introducing a new feature for iOS users to embed long-form, formatted text directly within a post.
In a recent TechCrunch report, it is revealed that Meta discussed an upcoming update that will display longer texts, formatted with bold, italics, and underlines. It will come within a ‘grey box’ under the ‘Read More’ section.
This one feature makes things easier for users by omitting the requirement for multiple posts together. Even users don’t need to take a screenshot of the text. However, at this point, the report noted that this feature will be restricted to plain text, whereas rival X allows images and videos within its articles.
The newly introduced text attachment feature enables users to attach a formatted block of text directly to a regular post, rather than creating separate posts to compose a thread. According to the report, app researcher Radu Oncescu first introduced this new feature, highlighting that it offers basic styling options, including different font styles such as italic, bold, and underline, and displays content within an expandable gray box.
Readers tap ‘Read more’ to engage with the complete text. Meta has confirmed that the test is only for iOS users, and its global rollout remains unknown. The specific Threads feature presently shows some restrictions as well. Like character limits and unwieldy, multi-post thread approaches are still there. However, it still simplifies sharing longer thoughts, quotes, and excerpts directly within a post.
Writers, thoughtful sharers, creators, and thinkers stand to benefit infinitely through this feature’s well-designed integration into the Threads app. It dives directly into the deep well of content that users can post without any additional costs. That's what makes it different from its direct rival, X (formerly, Twitter).
Once this feature rolls out globally, a user won't need to jump from one platform to another to share their thoughts, whether on a blog or Instagram Notes, for sharing long-form content. The requirement of posting screenshots on Threads is also gone.
The best part is that this feature is available free of charge to everyone. Users can adopt it immediately with no payment required, which makes it stand out positively and threatens to propel the democratization of extensive social writing.
This may foster better participation, spurring more meaningful and complex interactions along with an improved quality of storytelling. Still, its opening scope, text-only format, and lack of supporting multimedia may disappoint creators. Meta is likely to introduce improvements, including support for additional media, in the future.
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This sudden shift indicates a change in Thread's strategy. Precisely, Threads long form content strategy marks a departure from what is known as micro-posting. With this sudden move, it appears that Meta is attempting to create a hybrid platform that combines brief updates with in-depth content. This will address user demands that the platform has long ignored.
However, the absence of media embeds and links still lessens its usefulness for journalists or multimedia storytellers. Notably, these are the areas where the rival platform performs better.
Moreover, if Meta keeps the feature broadly available, it democratizes access to long-form content; however, if it later restricts it to premium tiers, Threads risks alienating users seeking free, rich expression. Ultimately, this test may recalibrate the platform’s identity: from a stripped-down, conversational offshoot of Instagram to a more versatile publishing space.
