Threads Connects the Fediverse: Has the Decentralized Era of Social Networks Really Arrived?

Over the past year, Meta's social platform Threads has been quietly conducting an experiment that could subvert the social ecosystem - accessing the Fediverse. Although most ordinary users may be confused by this term, this "connectivity" revolution has quietly begun.

Today, we will not only tell you what new features Threads has launched, but also help you quickly understand what Fediverse is, how to use Threads to connect to other platforms, and explore whether this trend is worthy of the attention of ordinary users.

New features for Threads are here!

Meta recently brought two key Fediverse interactive features to Threads:

1. Added exclusive "Fediverse Dynamic Stream"

You can now browse posts from users on other Fediverse platforms (such as Mastodon) directly in Threads. These posts will display their original platform account logo in the post, such as @[email protected].

2. Support searching Fediverse users

You can search for certain Fediverse users through Threads, but only if they use the same protocol as Threads (currently ActivityPub).

Note: Not all platforms support it. Currently, Bluesky still uses AT Protocol and cannot communicate with Threads for the time being.

What is Fediverse?

Fediverse is short for "Federated Universe". It is a network of decentralized social platforms that communicate with each other through common protocols (such as ActivityPub). You can think of it like email: whether you use Gmail, Outlook or QQ mailbox, you can send and receive emails to each other. Fediverse does something similar - breaking down platform barriers and achieving content interoperability.

Common Fediverse platforms include:

• Mastodon (Decentralized Twitter)

• Bookwyrm (Decentralized Goodreads)

• WriteFreely (decentralized blogging)

• There is also the rapidly rising Bluesky (although it uses a different protocol)

How to use Threads' latest Fediverse feature?

1. Content linkage

Threads users can choose to have their content automatically synchronized to the federated universe, so others can see your posts even if they are not in Threads.

2. Reverse visible

The biggest highlight of this update is that you can now also see content posted by other users in the federation universe in Threads, such as posts on Mastodon. This means that Threads is no longer part of a closed system, but gradually becomes "cross-platform".

3. Cross-platform search

You can enter a specific username (for example: @[email protected]) in the search bar of Threads to find accounts on other platforms, but not all platforms support this, as they also need to use the same protocol (ActivityPub).

Tutorial: How to enable Fediverse in Threads?

If you also want to "step out of the Threads circle" and enter the decentralized social universe, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open Fediverse connection

1. Open the Threads app.

2. Go to Settings;

3. Find the "Fediverse" option (it may be in the "Privacy" or "Account" module);

4. Click Enable after reading the instructions .

Step 2: View posts from Fediverse

• You will see posts labeled "From Fediverse" on your home timeline;

• Click on the account name to jump to view its information on the original platform (such as Mastodon).

Step 3: Search for Fediverse users

• Simply enter the username (such as @[email protected]) in the search box of Threads;

• If the compatible protocol is consistent, the account will be found.

Note: Currently only ActivityPub protocol (Mastodon, WriteFreely, etc.) is supported, and Bluesky (based on AT Protocol) is not supported yet.

So the question is: Is the Federal Universe really worth using?

It depends on what kind of user you are:

If you are a content creator/self-media person:

• Multi-platform exposure: You post with one click, and users on multiple platforms can see it

• Eliminate platform dependence: Even if a platform is unavailable, fans can still find you on other federated platforms

• Stronger data ownership: In theory, you can move your data at any time and no longer be locked by the platform

If you are a normal user:

• You may not feel much difference for the time being

• But "selecting a server, adjusting rules, and finding protocol compatibility" is too high a threshold for most people

• Threads is lowering this barrier, but it still takes time

Why are mainstream users not interested? The most realistic reason

• The setup is complicated: No one wants to choose a server and study protocols. TikTok's "just swipe" method is more attractive.

• "Algorithm feeding" is more convenient: the algorithms of mainstream social platforms already know you too well, which makes you even more lazy to set them up yourself

• Insufficient user base: Currently, Mastodon has only 1.4 million active users, which is less than a medium-sized public account.

Then why is Meta launching Fediverse this time?

You can understand it as:

• Political correctness: showing the stance of "we support decentralization";

• Technical reserve: once the trend reverses, it can be quickly connected;

• Product testing: See if it can attract a certain group of "geeks" or "high-impact users".

But for now, this looks more like Meta's bet between Web2 and Web3 rather than a real shift.

Conclusion

For the minority of users who care about privacy, control, and platform neutrality, the Fediverse is the ideal place. For the majority of ordinary people who just want to "swipe for fun", these updates are still far away.
Would you like to learn about and use Fediverse?