Meta Unveils Android Beta Program for Threads

Meta is giving Android users the opportunity to check out features for its newest app Threads first.

Meta engineer Jesse Chen announced(Opens in a new window)—on Threads, of course—that Android users “who love to live on the cutting edge” can sign up for the app’s Google Play beta,(Opens in a new window) where “new features and bug fixes” will come first at the price of a potentially less stable build. There’s no option for iOS just yet.

There’s no waitlist, and anyone with an Android device is eligible to sign up for the beta version of the app. Once you become a tester, “You’ll receive an update to the Threads app…if you already have it installed on your device,” Meta says. If not, download it from Google Play(Opens in a new window).

By signing up for the beta version, you’re consenting to provide some information to Meta. The sign-up page for the app notes that data privacy and security practices might potentially vary based on your use, region, and age. Some information might also be shared with third parties, a fact that has raised concerns among privacy experts.

Threads, Meta’s answer to Twitter, launched in the United States earlier this week and built an audience of over 30 million users during the first 24 hours it was available. It’s now at 70 million.

Using Threads requires users to have an Instagram account, and currently, if you decide to delete your Threads account you also have to delete your Instagram account. Instagram Head Adam Mosseri later clarified in a Threads post(Opens in a new window) that the company is working on a solution.

“You can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your Threads profile and content, you can set your profile to private, and you can delete individual Threads posts – all without deleting your Instagram account,” he said. “Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now it’s just one account, but we’re looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately.”

Early on, users have also complained about the lack of ability to view a chronological feed of posts as well as a feed of just accounts users choose to follow. Meta has suggested it’s working on both issues, and we might see solutions show up in that beta app soon.