Meta’s social networking platform, Threads, is deepening its push into interest-based conversations with an expanded communities feature and new engagement tools designed to keep users active on the platform. The company announced on Monday that it has increased the number of available communities on Threads and has begun testing badges and flairs for highly engaged members — a move that brings it closer to long-established community-driven platforms like Reddit and X.
Communities on Threads were first introduced in October as part of Meta’s broader effort to evolve the app beyond a simple feed-based social network. At launch, the feature included just over 100 communities covering popular interests such as basketball, television, K-pop, books, and general entertainment. The goal was clear: encourage topical discussions and create dedicated spaces where users could connect over shared interests rather than relying solely on algorithm-driven timelines.
With the latest expansion, Threads now supports more than 200 communities. The new additions include team-specific spaces such as Lakers Threads, Knicks Threads, and Spurs Threads, signaling a stronger focus on sports fandom and niche identity-based conversations. By narrowing communities around specific teams and interests, Threads is aiming to replicate the sense of belonging and ongoing dialogue that has made Reddit’s subreddits so sticky for users.
In addition to expanding community topics, Threads is testing customizable flairs within communities. Flairs allow users to display short labels beneath their usernames that signal identity or affiliation within a specific space. This feature is widely used on Reddit and is considered a simple but powerful way to drive participation and recognition.
For example, users in the NBA community on Threads can display the team they support, while members of the books community can identify themselves as authors, readers, or reviewers. These small markers of identity help contextualize conversations, making interactions feel more personal and credible — particularly in communities built around expertise or fandom.
Threads is also experimenting with a new “Champion” badge aimed at rewarding highly engaged community members. According to the company, the badge is currently being given to a limited number of users who are both highly followed within a community and actively participate in discussions. The badge serves as a form of social recognition, highlighting contributors who help sustain conversations and set the tone within a community.
This approach mirrors strategies used by other platforms to surface trusted voices and incentivize quality participation. By formally recognizing engaged users, Threads is signaling that communities are not just an add-on feature but a core part of its long-term engagement strategy.
The updates come as Threads continues to scale rapidly. The platform crossed 400 million users in August, roughly two years after its launch, underscoring how quickly it has grown by leveraging Meta’s broader ecosystem, including Instagram. The company also revealed earlier this fall that more than 150 million people now visit Threads daily, placing it among the most active social platforms globally.
As competition intensifies in the social media landscape, Threads is positioning itself as a credible alternative to X, particularly for users interested in structured conversations rather than chaotic, feed-first interactions. It is also increasingly encroaching on territory long dominated by Reddit, especially as it adds familiar community tools like flairs, badges, and topic-specific spaces.
Beyond communities, Threads has been steadily rolling out features aimed at improving user retention and engagement. Recent additions include direct messages, group chats, and experiments with ephemeral posts, all of which suggest Meta is working toward a more complete social networking experience rather than a single-purpose app.
Taken together, the expansion of communities, the introduction of flairs, and the testing of engagement badges reflect Threads’ broader ambition: to become a platform where conversations are not only discovered but sustained. If successful, these changes could shift how users think about where meaningful online discussions happen — and further intensify competition across the social media ecosystem.
