Instagram’s dedicated text sharing app, Son, is set to introduce lots of new features, including Twitter-style hashtags, an edit button, a trending page, and maybe even an auto-archive feature. Instagram manager Adam Mosseri confirmed these upcoming features in a series of posts on Threads.

Threads, built by the Instagram team, offers a platform to share text updates and engage in public conversations.

The app allows users to login with their Instagram accounts, post updates with a 500 character limit, and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long.

A major addition is the inclusion of hashtags. Just like on Twitter, hashtags used in Threads will become clickable, making it easier for users to explore topics of interest and join trending conversations. This feature could potentially improve platform discoverability and community engagement.

Mosseri also hinted to a potential self-archiving feature in response to a user. “We think we could auto-archive everything after 30 days so people can be a little more open, what do you think?” he asked the userbase.

If implemented, this feature could encourage more candid conversations by providing users with some privacy.

Additionally, Mosseri revealed plans to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which oversees the open standards that underpin the modern web. The move could open up new interaction opportunities by making Threads interoperable with other ActivityPub-enabled apps, such as Mastodon and WordPress.

Other platforms, including Tumblr, have announced plans to support the ActivityPub protocol in the future.

These updates promise to improve the user experience on Threads and pave the way for a more interconnected and interactive social media landscape.