You can pre-follow Instagram users on Threads, here's how

The Instagram spinoff Threads that launched earlier this week is now 70 million strong as per the latest update from Mark Zuckerberg. The Twitter-like microblogging platform currently lacks some essential features, and as of now, it's not possible to delete your Threads profile independently.

However, despite being a new social media app, Threads is not a barren land when it comes to its user base and making connections. You can set up your Threads profile simply by logging in with your Instagram account.

But if your friends and favorite creators on Instagram are yet to arrive on the platform, Threads gives you the option to follow them beforehand. The app allows you to pre-follow Instagram accounts that don't have a Threads profile yet. You can do so with the help of these steps:

Go to your profile page in the Threads app.
Tap on the Followers option.
Go to the Following tab on the next screen.
Tap on See all option at the top of the screen.
Now, you can pre-follow the accounts you want.

All the Instagram friends, brands, and creators that you pre-follow will have you on their followers list when they create a profile on Threads. You can also tap on the Follow all button at the bottom of the screen to add all your Instagram connections at once.

One thing to note is that the users who make their Threads profile private during the setup will have to accept your request manually when they join the app. Such accounts will appear as pending until they join. Similarly, your Instagram connections can pre-follow you if your Threads profile is marked as public.

The ability to follow/unfollow accounts works separately on Threads and Instagram. So, you can choose to follow different accounts on these platforms. However, if you block an account it will be blocked on both apps.

While Threads is getting some legal threats from Twitter, a number of popular brands such as Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Google, etc. have already joined the platform. Recently, Microsoft launched a bunch of its official accounts on the app for Xbox, Microsoft 365, and other products. But Apple which has a presence on Twitter is yet to join the Meta-owned app.

The Threads app is currently available for iPhone and Android. A part of its website is publicly accessible via browsers, but Meta is yet to launch a full-fledged version. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed that the web version is currently in the works without giving a launch date.

Mosseri also confirmed that a number of missing features, including hashtags, a trending section, For You page, improved search, and the ability to pin threads are "on the list" for a future release.