Instagram is readying a June launch of the first direct competition to Twitter backed by a major tech firm.
Upstarts like Mastodon and Bluesky have taken advantage of the chaos that has overtaken Twitter since Elon Musk purchased the platform, but none have the backing and reach or offer the familiarity and relative safety of Meta.
First leaked by Lia Haberman in her ICYMI Substack newsletter, the app will be a mix of Instagram and Twitter together, based on two screenshots included in what appears to be a leaked marketing slide.
The app includes a feed of text posts of up to 500 characters with links, photos, and videos.
We’ll be watching this closely and will share updates.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
