Threads Tests a Way to Share Long-Form Text on the Platform
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Meta’s social platform Threads is experimenting with a new feature that makes it easier for users to share long-form text content, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. Instead of breaking ideas into multiple posts, users can now attach a block of text to a single post—streamlining the process for those looking to share in-depth thoughts and stories.
How the Feature Works
App researcher Radu Oncescu first spotted the feature on iOS and shared screenshots showcasing its functionality. According to Threads’ description, the “text attachment” option allows users to:
Attach longer text blocks to posts
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Use creative styling tools
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Share news snippets, book excerpts, essays, or extended commentary
When shared, a snippet of the attached text appears in a gray box within the post. Viewers can tap to expand and scroll through the full content.
Competition with X
Threads’ update comes as a direct response to X (formerly Twitter), which already offers “Articles,” a similar long-form content tool. However, there are key differences:
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Accessibility: X restricts Articles to Premium subscribers, while Threads is currently testing the feature for free.
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Content Types: X supports text, images, and videos in Articles. Threads, at least for now, supports only text.
Given that the feature is still in testing, Meta may expand support to multimedia in the future.
Bigger Picture for Threads
This is just the latest in a series of upgrades Meta has rolled out for Threads, including direct messaging (DMs), fediverse integration, custom feeds, and AI-powered enhancements.
The timing is also significant—Threads recently surpassed 400 million monthly active users in just two years since launch. By comparison, X maintains over 600 million monthly active users, according to former CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Meta’s new text attachment feature could help Threads retain creators and attract users who value deeper, more thoughtful conversations. While it lags behind X in multimedia support, the accessibility advantage may give Threads an edge—at least for now.
