Instagram launches 'Threads' messaging app just for friends

A Snapchat knockoff for 'close friends' that shares your location data with Mark Zuckerberg? Sign me up!

Facebook-owned Instagram today launched a messaging app that automatically shares your status with your friends based on location, accelerometer, and battery level. The app is available on iOS and Android, is owned by Facebook, and wants to track your location and movement all the time. What could go wrong?

From the Instagram announcement:

Over the last few years, we’ve introduced several new ways to share visually on Instagram and connect with people you care about – from sharing everyday moments on Stories to visual messages on Direct. But for your smaller circle of friends, we saw the need to stay more connected throughout the day, so you can communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos. That’s why we built Threads, a new way to message with close friends in a dedicated, private space.

Threads is a standalone app designed with privacy, speed, and your close connections in mind. You can share photos, videos, messages, Stories, and more with your Instagram close friends list. You are in control of who can reach you on Threads, and you can customize the experience around the people who matter most.

There's a story at Techcrunch. More from Twitter, below.

[IMAGES courtesy Instagram]