Threads is trying to entice people from Instagram using badges

Have you started seeing weird little numbers popping up on people’s Instagram profiles? Well, that’ll be Threads.

Meta’s Twitter competitor app that launched today in the U.S. and UK is automatically placing badges on the Instagram profiles of users who have signed up. The badges show the Threads logo next to a number, which basically indicates how quick you were to join the app after it launched, while allowing Meta a major swipe at Twitter following the whole blue tick saga.

If you tap on your own badge, you’ll be greeted with a cheery message saying what “No.” person you were to join the app. You can then tap to view your Threads profile or “Hide badge”, although tapping on the latter will bring up an “Are you sure?” pop-up informing you that “You can’t add it back to your profile once you’ve removed it.”

Tapping on a badge on someone else’s profile, meanwhile, takes you directly to their Threads page.

So what’s the point of the badges? Well, honestly there isn’t much point. Meta is likely using the badges as a marketing tool to try and generate FOMO and catch the attention of Instagram users so that they can drive more people to their new platform.

One note of caution, though: If you do sign up to Threads through iOS or Android and later want to delete it, you won’t be able to without also deleting your Instagram account. And don’t forget, Threads is tracking you in all sorts of ways.