Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Threads is expected to start delivering ads in early 2025.
- The initial trial could be quite limited, with only select advertisers participating.
- Meta has always been clear that ads are coming to Threads, and we’ve just wondered when.
Social media platforms are in a wee bit of upheaval right now, in the wake of last week’s historic US election results. Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter already triggered a massive exodus itself, but after the election, even plenty of X hold-outs are packing things up and looking for greener pastures. Bluesky, for one, has been picking up new users by the hundreds of thousands, but it’s far from the only alternative. Meta’s Threads has been one of the most popular X replacements, but now we’re getting word of an upcoming change that could seriously start shifting the platform’s vibe.
Spend a little time scrolling around on Threads, and you’re sure to noticing things about how the environment feels. Beyond what sort of users have gravitated to Threads, and the form that interactions on the platform tend to take, there’s also a conspicuous absence that is impossible to ignore once you notice: There are no advertisements.
Sure, plenty of companies are on Threads, and using it to promote business, but we don’t see sponsored content in the way it dominates X. According to a new report from The Information, that could be changing in 2025.
Supposedly the platform could get started with a restricted group of advertisers as soon as January, and presumably tailor its approach to broader advertiser access based on what it learns from that experience.
That’s absolutely going to require a bit of an adjustment for heavy Threads users, but it’s also not a change that everyone didn’t see coming. Meta properties like Facebook and Instagram are no stranger to ads by a long shot, and the company has been upfront with its intent to eventually start doing the same sort of thing with Threads — the only question, really, is what’s taken this long? These early years of existence have focused on firming up the app’s user base, and especially in light of the latest swarm of users leaving X, now just might be the right time to start capitalizing on them.
Will advertising on Threads change the way you use the platform? Are you already thinking about moving somewhere else? Or do you want to wait and see how Meta actually implements this push? Let us know in the comments.
