According to Engadget , Threads is a "brother" app to Instagram, so the photo-sharing platform's more than 1 billion users can easily sign up (not counting users in the European Union, where the app is not yet available).

This impressive number is achieved even though Threads is still in its early stages and lacks basic features that many consider essential, such as search being limited to usernames, no hashtag support, and the inability to post Threads from the web.

Perhaps most frustrating for those accustomed to Twitter is that Threads doesn’t yet have a chronological feed of posts. The algorithmic feed is filled with brands, influencers, and celebrities, making it difficult for users to keep up with what their friends and family are posting. A chronological feed is on the way, but Twitter will likely remain the app of choice for many people for up-to-the-minute news.

“Politics and ‘breaking’ news will definitely appear on Threads, but we won’t do anything to encourage it,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri wrote, noting that Threads’ purpose is not to replace Twitter.

Co-founder Christopher Kardatzke, who built the Quiver Quantitative tool, says their data is pulled from Instagram user profiles. “By looking at the profiles of people who have joined the platform, I can see where they are in line and get a sense of how many users are signed up overall,” he says.