Instagram’s Twitter Alternative Leaked

The Meta subsidiary Instagram has been working on a potential Twitter competitor for several months. Now the alternative to Elon Musk’s social media service is shown in the first pictures. However, the wheel does not seem to be reinvented: texting, liking, commenting, and sharing.

The news was already spreading in March that the development of a new social network was to be in full swing. Under the internal code name “P92”, Meta (formerly Facebook ) is planning to launch a text message platform based on the photo service Instagram. The special feature: The ActivityPub protocol is intended to pave the way for a decentralized social media service, similar to the Twitter alternative Mastodon.

Lia Haberman, lecturer in social media and influencer marketing at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA Extension), is said to have gotten her hands on the first images of the new platform, which she shares via Twitter. The leaked screenshots show the profile page of the new text-based Instagram app and an associated feed. Both are strongly reminiscent of Twitter, packaged in the well-known interface of the meta apps.

Focus on text feeds and integration with Instagram

The app is advertised as a platform for text, with the option of attaching links, photos, and videos. Traditionally, contributions can be provided with likes, commented on, and shared with friends or followers. Instagram seems to limit the text length to 500 characters and wants to offer a direct connection to its classic platform for photos, stories, and short videos – “With a tap of a finger, everyone can follow the accounts they follow on Instagram.”

Accordingly, the login for the new “P92” platform should take place via Facebook and Instagram accounts. The app could also theoretically be interoperable with other decentralized services, such as Mastodon. It remains unclear whether the meta group will market its upcoming Twitter alternative as an independent app or as part of Instagram. According to speculation, the application is already being tested with selected partners and will be presented in the summer of 2023. An official confirmation is still pending.