Facebook users may soon sign-up for Threads without an Instagram account

I’ve always thought that Threads felt like Instagram’s quieter, text-focused cousin, but Meta clearly wants it to operate with more independence. The company is now testing signups using Facebook accounts, letting people join Threads without needing an Instagram profile.

Until now, Threads accounts were tied directly to Instagram. Your username, your follows, even your feed came straight from your Instagram activity. That helped the app gain traction early on, but it also boxed it in.

Meta is now looking to bring in users who may be active on Facebook but have never touched Instagram. This test allows Facebook users to create new Threads profiles with personalised content recommendations based on their Facebook activity.

With over 50 million users, Threads could become a major threat to Twitter

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the current number of users of the Threads app. Not the version of the cage fight we had hoped for, but nonetheless a riveting one. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is wielding its new digital sword in the form of Threads to

TechloyEmmanuel Oyedeji

It comes at a time when Threads has also rolled out a direct messaging feature, a core social function that was missing at launch. With DMs now live, Meta is quietly aligning Threads with user expectations for what a standalone social app should offer.

That being said, Threads saw a spike in user numbers at launch, briefly topping 350 million users, but sustaining that growth has been a challenge. With this move, Meta is tapping into Facebook’s much larger and more global audience in an effort to breathe new life into Threads.

However, privacy concerns are already surfacing. Meta says data will sync between Facebook and Threads, including profile information and feed suggestions. That will likely improve content recommendations but could also make some users uneasy about how much of their activity is being shared across platforms.

Threads Finally Gets Direct Messages — Here’s What That Means

For now, DMs are limited to people you follow on Threads or mutual Instagram followers.

TechloyEmmanuel Oyedeji

Competitors like X and TikTok have long used flexible onboarding methods and algorithmic feed personalisation to drive engagement. Meta is following a similar approach, aiming to remove friction and give users more ways into the platform.

Features like DMs and multi-account signups signal that Threads is evolving from a spinoff into a full-fledged product. By unlinking Threads from Instagram and inviting Facebook users directly, Meta is trying to reposition the app.

While we don't know when the feature will be available to the public, this could be the beginning of a broader pivot to make Threads stand better on its own while still remaining within Meta’s ecosystem.