(Credit: Mateusz Slodkowski / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Threads has launched a feature that helps it close the gap with X: trending topics.
"Trending now is rolling out to the US today so you can see what people are talking about on Threads. Enjoy!" Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Threads post.
Zuckerberg initially announced a "small test of today's top topic" in mid-February, and promised a larger rollout "once we get it tuned up."
Threads' version of the feature is simpler than what you'll find on X (previously Twitter), though that will likely change over time. Currently, trending on Threads consists of five topics that are popular on the social media site at the time the user checks the app or website; X users can interact with dozens of trending terms or topics.
(Credit: Meta/PCMag)To see trending topics on Threads, hit the search icon at the bottom of the app. If the feature has been turned on for you, you'll see trending topics appear above the neverending list of follow recommendations.
According to Threads, trending topics are, indeed, topics that people are talking about in large numbers. However, they are also curated. Threads says that "content specialists review topics to ensure they meet our guidelines." The most likely reason for the small number of topics and the curation is to avoid the content nightmares X has been dealing with for a couple of years.
Meta tells TechCrunch that Meta AI helps determine trending topics as well by taking into account metrics such as how many people are posting about the topic and how many people engage with posts about the topic. TechCrunch also notes that while Threads shies away from recommending political posts, the trending topics feature makes no such promises. Users can expect to see politics pop up there from time to time.