Threads tweaks algorithm to combat Bluesky's rise

Threads is making changes to the way its algorithm works, tweaking its For You feed to ensure more content from people you follow appears. The change may be due to the recent surge in interest in Bluesky, which, like Threads, is one of the viable alternatives to X (Twitter).

Threads starts prioritizing people you follow

Since its launch, Meta's Twitter alternative — Threads — has offered users two feeds. One (Following) is limited to content from people you follow, while the other (For You) is a mix of posts from people you follow and random content the algorithm thinks you'll like.

However, because Threads defaults to an algorithmically-based For You feed, users have voiced their frustration, especially those who remember the early days of Twitter when posts from people you followed were presented in reverse chronological order.

Threads is now changing its algorithm to ensure the For You feed meets people's expectations.

In the Threads post (above), Threads boss Adam Mosseri announced that Threads will "rebalance rankings to prioritize content from people you follow, which means less recommended content from accounts you don't follow and more posts from accounts you do follow . "

He went on to warn creators that they 'will see unconnected reach decrease and connected reach increase .' With Threads, it's clearly hoping that connected reach will balance out with connected reach, because if it doesn't, creators may start complaining about a lack of visibility and growth.

Threads is aware that Bluesky is on the rise.

While Mosseri's post implies that this change was made due to user feedback, that seems unlikely after all this time. What's more likely is that Threads is making the changes to try to counter the recent surge in popularity of Bluesky, where anyone can now join without an invite.

While Threads is now much larger than Bluesky (275 million users vs. 20 million), Bluesky is on the rise. Since the US Presidential election, many users have left X in search of new options, and millions are choosing Bluesky over Threads.

Whether Bluesky can continue its momentum remains to be seen. However, Similarweb claims that Bluesky is reaching similar daily active users as Threads, with even a tenth of the number of users. This is putting pressure on Threads to make some changes, starting with custom feeds and now a major algorithm change.

Jessica Tanner

Update 09 December 2024