10 Life Hacks Every Threads User Should Know
I’ve been using Threads since its launch in 2023, and during that time, I’ve learned a few life hacks that help save time (and stress) on the platform. If you use Threads regularly, try these tips to reduce the amount of irrelevant content in your feed, speed up search, and customize the app to your liking.
Use these tools to download videos from Threads.
Like most of my social media feeds, my Threads feed is also full of cat videos. When I see a video I like, I sometimes download it to watch later. As you may know, Threads doesn’t support media downloads, meaning you’ll have to use third-party tools to download videos from the app . You can try Threads Downloader on Android or the Threads Download shortcut on iPhone. Using the Android app is fairly simple: just copy the Threads link and paste it into the app. On iPhone, however, you’ll need to download two other free apps: a-Shell mini and Scriptable , for the shortcut to work. Once the shortcut is set up, you can hold the Share button under any Threads entry and select the “Threads Download” shortcut from the Share menu to initiate the download.
Use a Tweetdeck-style multi-column layout on desktop.
I once really loved Tweetdeck’s multi-column format for Twitter because it allowed me to keep track of different streams of information in a single window. Without any extra clicks, I could see my feed, notifications, mentions, direct messages, and so on. Threads also has a similar multi-column format on desktop if you, like me, prefer that. Just log into Threads on desktop and click the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your feed. Select “Add as Column,” then use the drop-down menu at the top of your feed to switch to a different view, such as “Activity,” “For You,” “Following,” “Mentions,” and so on. After adding multiple columns, click the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of any feed and select “Auto-Refresh” to have the feed load new messages or activity in real time.
Change your default feed settings so that it only displays posts from accounts you follow.
I don’t like the default Threads algorithmic feed because it shows posts I’m not particularly interested in. Luckily, you can easily change the default feed to show only posts from people you follow. To do this, open the Threads app on your phone and tap the button with two lines in the upper left corner. Tap the pencil icon, drag “Following” up, and select “Done.” This will display posts from people you follow every time you open Threads.
Create personalized news feeds focused on specific topics.
Threads also supports creating custom feeds if you want to focus on posts on specific topics or from specific people. For example, you could create a feed of cat videos or a feed dedicated solely to marathon training. After opening Threads, swipe right to open the Feeds page and tap the “+” button at the top to create a new feed. Add a title for the feed, choose whether you want it to be visible to everyone, and then tap “Add profiles or topics” to begin customizing it. You can add keywords (e.g., “New York City Marathon”), specific profiles, or select Threads topics, and they will all appear in this feed. This is also a way to follow specific people without following their accounts.
Prevent Meta from suggesting your posts to Facebook and Instagram.
If your account is public, Threads automatically suggests some of your posts to Instagram and Facebook users. I think this feature is great for brands and influencers, but it’s not so convenient for those who don’t want to share their Threads musings with friends and family on other platforms. You can disable this feature by going to the app’s settings page. Tap the profile icon in the lower-right corner of the app, then select the two-bar menu in the upper-right corner of your profile page. Next, go to “Privacy” > “Post suggestions in other apps” and turn off this feature for Instagram and Facebook.
Block notifications for some discussions without disabling all notifications.
Countless spam notifications are common in any Meta app. I solved this problem by disabling all notifications for Threads and most other Meta apps, but I understand this isn’t ideal for everyone, especially if you don’t want to miss private messages. In Threads, you can disable some types of spam notifications, such as posts “recommended” for you and subscription suggestions. Go to your Threads profile, click the two-bar menu button in the upper-right corner, and select “Notifications.” Go to ” From Threads” and disable all notifications . Then, go to “Subscriptions and Followers” and disable ” Account suggestions ” and “People you follow before joining Threads.” You can also go to the Threads and Replies settings page and turn off spam notifications like Analytics , Weekly Analytics , Views , First Thread , and Updates from Linked Posts .
Allow Fediverse to follow Mastodon users on Threads.
The Threads app is integrated with Fediverse , allowing Mastodon users to see your posts and follow your account. This isn’t necessary if you have accounts in both apps, but it’s useful for those who only use Threads and want their Mastodon friends to see their posts. To enable this feature, go to Threads Settings > Account > Fediverse Access and follow the on-screen instructions.
Prevent others from reusing your media.
Threads users can reuse your photos and videos in their posts if your account is public. You can disable this feature by going to Threads Settings > Account > Media and turning off “Media Reuse.” This won’t prevent users from taking screenshots of your content, but it will create a barrier that could help prevent such reuse.
Use this trick to search topics faster.
In the Threads app, there’s a search button (a magnifying glass icon) in the upper right corner. Tapping it opens a search page with follow suggestions, trending topics, and other content Meta is constantly adding. To search, tap the search bar and type your query. However, there’s a way to speed up searching in Threads: simply tap and hold the search button, and Threads will immediately open the search page with the keyboard open. This way, you can reduce the number of taps required to start a Threads search.
Hide your online status
Threads also shows your online status to your followers. If this bothers you, you can hide your online status from others. Go to Threads Settings > Privacy > Online Status and select “Nobody.”