Meta’s Threads gets its own Tweetdeck clone

The web version of Threads could soon be much more useful. Meta begins testing to order Tweetdeck-like feeds which will allow users to track multiple topics, searches and accounts in one view.

People who are part of the test can set up “pinned columns” that will track updates around specific topics, tags, accounts or search terms. Users can also choose to have these columns automatically refresh with new content. For now, Threads will support up to 100 different columns, though a Meta spokesperson said that number could change as testing progresses.

Based on screenshots shared by Mark Zuckerberg, this is what the new Threads columns look like a lot such as Tweetdeck, the desktop application long favored by Twitter power users. The app is now called X Pro and is only available to paid X subscribers.

The test is the latest sign that Meta is looking to make Threads a more reliable source for real-time information. The company also added a “recent” section and trending search topics. But being able to track multiple feeds with updates at once is even more useful. It could also address long-standing complaints about Threads’ algorithmic “for you” feed, which tends to bring up a random mix of posts from days ago and odd personal stories from unrelated accounts.

It’s unclear how many people will be part of Meta’s initial test of the feature, though Adam Mosseri said the company is looking for feedback on the changes. But the company often rolls out big changes to Threads to a small group of users first before making them more widely available.

Update May 16, 2024, 2:15 PM ET: Added details on how many columns Threads will support.