Meta Tests Improved Instagram to Threads Crossposting

Threads is working on streamlined Instagram integration, which would make it easier to share your IG content direct to Threads.

As you can see in this example, shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, the Threads team is looking to add Instagram itself as a source for your attachments, which would then enable you to select from any posts or Reels that you’ve shared on your connected IG account.

Again, you can see the additional Instagram logo in the composer options here, which brings up an overview of all of your IG posts, so you can easily re-share your IG content.

Which makes sense, in terms of Instagram and Threads being connected. But at the same time, what you post in each app is likely very different, and it may not be ideal to be re-posting everything across both apps.

That could be particularly annoying for people who follow you in both, as they’ll see double-ups of your updates. But then again, the Threads team presumably has the data on re-shares, and knows that many people are already sharing their IG posts and Reels to Threads anyway, which would be why it’s exploring this option.

Meta actually launched a test of automated post sharing between Instagram and Threads earlier this year, which would enable users to switch on crossposting for all of their IG updates.

Meta hasn’t provided any updates on this test, but maybe, this new variation could serve as an alternative, as opposed to simply auto-sharing everything.

Because that definitely seems like overkill, and really, a blatant push by Meta to increase the amount of content on Threads. In that process, your IG caption would become the post text on Threads, and while that might be appealing to some creators who are simply looking to maximize their reach, it doesn’t seem like the best way to go.

Simplified, custom cross-posting would be better, and as an alternative, this is an improvement. It’s just not clear, as yet, whether this is an alternative or an addition.

Either way, it looks like we are going to soon have a simplified Instagram cross-posting option on Threads, in some form, which could see more creators posting more Threads updates.

Meta has confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s currently testing this feature internally, with no timeline for a public launch as yet.