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Is Threads available on desktop? No, but it may arrive

Sadly, the new platform isn't everywhere just yet
Last Updated on July 7, 2023
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Wondering whether Threads is available on desktop? You’re not alone. Luckily, we’ve done a fair bit of research into the topic. The answer might be disappointing if you are keen to use the Twitter competitor app on laptop or PC.

Right now, Meta’s new social media platform Threads is only available via the app store on Android and iOS mobile devices. Although Mark Zuckerberg and Meta haven’t given any indication yet of when the new app will become available on desktop browsers, we expect that some point it will be, simply because of the rate at which these developments tend to progress.

Threads has been met with lots of publicity since its launch on Thursday. It is a Twitter-style app you can access with your Instagram username and password. Whether or not it will prove a proper rival to Elon Musk’s Twitter remains to be seen, but there’s certainly a lot of buzz about the app, along with other Twitter alternatives like Mastodon and BlueSky.

Is Threads available on desktop?

So, Threads is currently not available as a desktop site or web app. You have to download the Threads app via the Apple store or Google Play store onto your mobile device in order to set up your account and profile. Due to it being owned by Meta, your Instagram accounts details are all you need to log in. Once you’ve done this, it’s just a few simple steps to posting ‘threads’ – written posts, images and gifs, much like tweets. 

That being said, there is a workaround to getting Threads that involves using an emulator to run the mobile app on your desktop pc. However, this is not an officially supported way to get Threads on your desktop, and it is highly recommended that you wait for Meta to launch the platform on Windows and Mac.

Final Thoughts

Threads is only available as a mobile app at the moment, but we are hopeful that at some point in the near future, it will be available on desktop computers too. Threads posts should be soon accessible from every kind of device, but right now, we’ll have to stick to our smartphones.

As a tech and AI writer for PC Guide, Gloria is interested in what new technology means for the future of consumer electronics and digital and broadcast journalism.