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Metas Threads is finally allowing users to change their default feed in the app, in a move that addresses what has long been one of the most frustrating parts of the service. With the update, users will be able to make the following feed or a custom feed the default view in the app rather than Threads sometimes chaotic for you feed. Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta would test the feature way back in November, but the company has said little about it since. Now that its official, the change could help address criticism that Threads isnt as useful for following real-time events because it pushes users to the for you algorithmic feed, which often surfaces older posts with many replies rather than newer posts from followed accounts. It could also help Meta as it tries to lure more users from X and Bluesky, which saw a surge of new users last year. Threads currently has 320 million monthly active users, according to a Meta spokesperson, while Bluesky has about 33 million. The long overdue change arrives alongside several other upgrades to the service. The app is also finally getting a setting that allows users to limit quotes and replies to followers only. That should address complaints about reply guys and unnecessary dunking (previously, the apps quote controls had options for profiles you follow and mentioned accounts only). Meta Threads is also making changes that make it easier to surface topics in various parts of the app. As a refresher, topics on Threads are essentially the sites version of hashtags (with a few notable distinctions). Now, the app will surface topics in more places in an effort to steer users toward more relevant posts. While drafting a new post, Threads will allow users to browse topics, including ones that are currently trending in the app. The service will also more prominently highlight trending topics alongside relevant feed posts. Meta is also testing the ability to add topics to Threads profiles, much like how you can add hashtags to Instagram profiles. The company notes that taking advantage of topics could help users expand their reach, noting that internal data suggests that posts with a tagged topic generally receive more views than those that without one. That will likely be useful info for Threads creators trying to decipher the apps sometimes confusing algorithm.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-finally-let-everyone-change-their-default-feed-170001140.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
TikTok is bringing Amber Alerts to the For You feed, the platform just announced via blog post. It has teamed up with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to bring these alerts to users and to leverage the power of the US TikTok community to help reunite kids with their families. The social media platform started experimenting with this functionality last year, with a pilot program in Texas. The rollout was successful, with TikTok saying Amber Alerts in Texas were viewed more than 20 million times and contributed to 2.5 million visits to NCMEC's website. When an AMBER Alert is issued, users who live near the missing child will see it show up in the For You feed. The posts will feature two hyperlinks. One will lead to the relevant NCMEC data and the other will contact 911, just in case theres information to impart. The platform is also donating advertising credits from these posts to amplify NCMEC's messaging via their official TikTok account. This is just the latest social media platform to integrate Amber Alerts in some way. Instagram began pushing these alerts to users back in 2022. Facebook did the same in 2015. Heres hoping that TikToks adoption of this idea leads to more kids returning safely to their loved ones.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-adding-amber-alerts-to-the-for-you-feed-162909699.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Tesla is recalling more than 46,000 Cybertrucks due to a potential safety issue. According to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the armored vehicle's cant rail (a cosmetic exterior trim panel) could detach from the truck, potentially leading to injury or a collision. The recall covers all 46,096 Cybertrucks manufactured between November 13, 2023, and February 27, 2025. Given that the vehicle launched in late 2023, that should be, well, just about all of them. The NHTSA filing states that owners of the vehicles can visit a Tesla service department for a free cant rail replacement. The recall is the latest in a recent downward slide for Tesla. Last month, its US sales reportedly fell two percent year over year even as the country's EV market grew by 16 percent. The automaker's picture is even gloomier in other regions: Its China sales plummeted by 49 percent (compared to 85 percent EV growth in the country) and sales dropped by 76 percent in Germany (vs. 31 percent EV growth there). That has resulted in Tesla's stock falling by over 40 percent since January. Elon Musk's DOGE shenanigans are leading to snowballing consequences not only for the US government but also for his EV company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-recalls-over-46000-cybertrucks-over-a-faulty-exterior-panel-153844072.html?src=rss
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