Threads Is Testing the Ability to Pick Your Default Feed
On Friday, I wrote about how Threads is making some big changes to its platform—namely, the "For you" feed will start prioritizing accounts you follow, rather than accounts you don't. To me, that sounds like how a social media platform should operate in the first place, but, hey, it's "new."
It seemed obvious impetus for the change is the recent meteoric success of Bluesky: While Threads still has roughly ten times the user base, it's Bluesky that is experiencing a moment in the online culture, and Meta has clearly taken note. While the competition seems to have pushed Threads in the right direction by showing people more of what they presumably want to see (posts from people they've actually chosen to follow), there remained room for improvement.
It's great that the For you feed will feel a bit more relevant, but if you want to exclusively stay on the "Following" feed to only see content from accounts you follow, well, too bad: For you is the default, which means each time you start a new Threads session, the app switches back to that feed. If you want to see Following only, you have to manually tap over to it, each and every time. At least for now.
It seems Threads isn't done making big changes this week. On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg posted on the social media platform to announce that Threads is testing the option to make any feed the default. That means you could swap from For you to Following to serve as the default every time you open the app, or choose a different custom feed altogether. This is what passes for radical innovation in social media in 2024: giving you the option to shape your Threads experience so you see what you choose to see, rather than letting yourself be consumed by never-ending algorithmic content.
Of course, that it is in "testing" means the feature isn't widely available yet, and Zuckerberg offered no timeline on when it might roll out to more users. However, The Verge has some instructions on how to choose a default feed, should you find yourself a part of the test group.
How to set a default feed on Threads
To start, open Threads, scroll down to reveal your feeds, then long-press on any feed. Choose Edit feeds on the pop-up: If the feature is live on your end, you'll be able to reorder your feeds via the three lines button. Place the one you want as the default at the top, then hit Done to lock it in.
(If you don't have the feature, you'll simply see a list of your feeds, with no option to move them. Sigh.)