Facebook is developing a new messaging app. The app is reportedly aimed at helping users share information with their closest friends more often. Threads, as it’s been called, is supposed to work alongside Instagram. The app is going to help users share intimate details with their Instagram selected Close Friends list.

The Threads app is made to share personal details automatically. Private information like speed, location, battery life and also regular texts, videos and photos can be shared. The app is likely coming to compete with Snapchat. The app has been able to experience some growth despite Facebook’s sabotage.

Facebook reportedly tried to buy Snapchat at some point, but the owners refused to sell. Consequently, they incorporated filters, which was Snapchat’s major attraction to Instagram. Snapchat suffered some setbacks and did not make much profit for a long time. However, its gender swap filters and other signature ones have made it win back the hearts of millennials.

Intimate threads

Facebook ended support for its standalone messaging app in May this year. Direct was meant to be a camera-first app like Snapchat. It was tested in some countries like Turkey and Portugal. However, it was cancelled just before it made it to the global market.

The social media giants have expressed planes to merge the services of Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Its three social networking platforms will allow users to send messages to one another from one app. The standalone app will bring communication on these other platforms to a single place.

Alas, on Thread app, users will be able to update their status manually. Users’ statuses will appear in the main feed along with the messages. A green dot will show what friends are currently active online. Users will also be able to see their friends’ posts from inside the app.

Facebook has not revealed any details about when this product will launch. However, this in line with the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s revelation earlier in the year. He said that the future of the company was messaging. This sounds like what he meant when he said that.