Threads hits 500 million users, rolls out Communities Hub

Key Takeaways

• Threads now has 500 million monthly active users, adding 100 million since August 2025
• Communities feature exits beta with new hub, distinct icons, and expanded Live Chats
• Your Algo gives users temporary control over topic visibility for 1, 3, or 7 days

Meta's Threads has crossed 500 million monthly active users, roughly doubling its user base since the same period last year. The company is marking the milestone by graduating its Communities feature out of beta and rolling out a new algorithmic control called Your Algo.

Threads launched in July 2023 as Meta's direct response to the chaos surrounding Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition. Its initial growth came from a simple trick: one-tap signup for Instagram's existing 2 billion users. That got people in the door. Keeping them there has been the harder problem.

Meta believes Communities is the answer. The interest-based feature, which lets users organize around specific topics rather than just following individual accounts, has been driving much of the platform's recent growth, according to the company.

What's new in the Communities update?

Communities is getting a proper home. The update adds a Communities Hub to the main menu, sitting left of the primary feed. Each community now gets a distinct icon, making it easier to visually distinguish between groups at a glance.

A new Community Progress feature shows users when a topic is approaching the threshold to become an official community, along with suggestions for how to push it over the line. Meta is also expanding who can earn "community champion" status, a designation for power users who moderate and shape discussions.

For Asia-Pacific markets, native-language community tags are now available in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. This matters: time spent on Threads in Japan jumped 130% over the past year, with South Korea seeing an 80% increase. Live Chats will expand to more communities in the coming weeks, with the ability to quote moments directly to your feed.

How does Your Algo differ from Dear Algo?

Threads already had Dear Algo, which lets users tell the algorithm what they want more or less of in their feed. Your Algo flips this around for topics. You can now specify exactly which topics you want to see more or less of, and choose how long that preference lasts: one day, three days, or seven days.

The temporary nature is intentional. If you are deep in a TV show and want spoiler-free browsing for a week, you set it and it expires. Both tools now live in a unified hub. Only you can see your requests.

Your Algo is rolling out today in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Other regions will follow.

Is 500 million enough to challenge X?

X (formerly Twitter) still claims around 500 to 600 million monthly active users, though Musk's company has been less transparent with third-party verification. Threads matching that number is significant, but raw user counts hide important differences.

X remains the default for breaking news, political discourse, and journalist chatter. Threads has carved out a different niche, leaning into lighter, interest-based conversation. The Communities pivot is Meta betting that this distinction will drive retention better than trying to out-Twitter Twitter.

On r/ThreadsApp, reactions to the Communities Hub have been largely positive. Power users say the app finally feels distinct from X's interface. HackerNews commenters are more skeptical about Your Algo, questioning whether temporary topic controls are genuine user empowerment or just a more granular way for Meta to profile user preferences.

What's missing from this update?

Threads still lacks a desktop-first experience that serious content creators and journalists expect. The API remains limited compared to what third-party developers had on pre-Musk Twitter. And while Communities helps with discovery, Threads has not solved the problem of follower portability. Your Instagram audience does not automatically translate into Threads engagement.

The algorithmic controls are welcome but still opaque. Meta is not explaining how the algorithm weighs Your Algo requests against its other ranking signals. Users get a dial, not a dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many users does Threads have now?

Threads has reached 500 million monthly active users as of June 2026, adding about 100 million users since August 2025.

What is the Threads Communities Hub?

The Communities Hub is a new section in Threads' main menu that organizes all interest-based communities in one place, with distinct icons and progress tracking for emerging topics.

How does Your Algo work on Threads?

Your Algo lets users specify topics they want to see more or less of in their feed, with temporary durations of 1, 3, or 7 days. It complements the existing Dear Algo feature.

Is Threads available in languages other than English?

Yes. Threads now supports native-language community tags in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, with other regions likely to follow.

Where is Your Algo available?

Your Algo is rolling out in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand starting today.

Source: GSMArena.com / Vlad