Instagram Threads is developing new features that would bring its user experience more in line with that of X (formerly Twitter) and the social network Bluesky. The Meta-owned company is internally prototyping the ability to set a display name and add a cover image to profiles.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday that the two features are not currently available to the public. The new additions were first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often finds unreleased features while they’re still under development.
Since Threads is integrated with Instagram, users aren’t able to change their display names, as the social network automatically pulls them from Instagram. If Meta gives users the ability to modify their Threads display name, it would give users more freedom over their identity on the platform.
If someone leaves X for Threads, they may want to have the same username on Threads so their X followers can easily find them on Meta’s app. Today, users don’t have a way of doing that and would have to change their name on Instagram to do so on Threads, which is less than ideal.
This situation depicts one of the downsides of Threads’ link to Instagram. However, it seems that Meta may now be ready to allow Threads to operate a bit more independently. This would make sense for the platform, especially since it has found its footing with more than 100 million daily active users and 300 million monthly active users.
According to screenshots posted on X by Paluzzi, a user’s display name would be shown on their Threads profile and posts. Plus, users would have the option to change their display name twice within 14 days.
In terms of the ability to add cover photos to profiles, this functionality would give users a new way to personalize their profiles on the platform like they would on X or Bluesky. The option would allow you to add more character to your account and grab the attention of viewers.
As with any other internal prototype, it’s unknown if or when Meta plans to roll out these features.
