Facebook said to be developing new messaging app called Threads

Facebook is reportedly developing a new messaging app aimed at helping users share more information more often with their closest friends. The app, called Threads, is meant to be a companion to Instagram, The Verge reported Monday.Threads is designed to automatically share intimate details such as “location, speed and battery life,” as well as other typical social media posts like as photos and text, The Verge reported. The app is intended to be used with your “close friends” list on Instagram and is currently in testing at Facebook, according to the report.

There was no word on when Instagram expects to launch Threads. Facebook declined to comment. Earlier this year, the photo-sharing social media behemoth ended support for Direct, a camera-first app that had more than a passing resemblance to Snapchat. Unveiled in 2017, the app was tested in Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Uruguay but was canceled before a worldwide release occurred.Facebook announced plans in January to merge the services of WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, allowing users to send messages to one another without switching apps. The apps will remain separate, but they’ll be brought together under a single messaging platform or protocol.