Meta has announced that its social media platform, Threads, has surpassed 500 million monthly active users, marking a significant milestone in its rapid rise as a major player in the global social networking landscape.
The company disclosed the achievement on Tuesday, while also unveiling a suite of new features designed to strengthen user engagement and make communities on the platform more interactive and accessible.
According to Meta, the platform’s growth has been largely driven by vibrant communities built around shared interests such as sports, books, parenting, music, and lifestyle conversations.
Meta said the latest milestone underscores the growing demand for public online spaces centred on meaningful conversations and community interaction.
“Today we’re announcing that Threads has reached 500 million monthly active users, a milestone that reflects people’s desire for a public space built around conversation,” the company said in a statement.
The social media giant noted that communities have emerged as one of the fastest-growing features on Threads since their introduction last year, prompting the company to expand and enhance the experience.
As part of the update, Meta is officially moving its Communities feature out of beta testing and introducing several enhancements.
One of the key additions is a new Communities Hub, which will appear in the platform’s main navigation menu, making it easier for users to discover, access and switch between different communities.
Communities will also receive distinct visual icons, allowing users to identify and navigate them more easily across the platform.
In addition, Meta is introducing a Community Progress feature that shows users when a discussion topic is close to becoming a formal community and outlines actions they can take to help it reach that status.
The company is also expanding its Community Champion programme, recognising active contributors who help drive engagement and quality discussions within communities.
To support more localised interactions, Meta announced the rollout of Local Communities, beginning with native-language community tags in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
The company also plans to expand Live Chats to more communities in the coming weeks. New capabilities will include co-hosting features and the ability for users to quote highlights from live conversations directly to their feeds.
