Meta has begun rolling out advertising on Threads to users worldwide, marking a major step in the platform’s monetization as it scales toward mainstream adoption.
The global expansion, announced on Wednesday, will start next week and roll out gradually, with Meta noting that it could take several months before ads are fully available to all users. Until now, advertising on Threads had been limited to select markets and testing phases.
Threads, which launched in July 2023 as Meta’s alternative to X (formerly Twitter), has grown rapidly. The platform now has more than 400 million monthly active users, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has repeatedly described Threads as the company’s next major social product. Shortly after its launch, Zuckerberg told investors that Threads had a strong chance of reaching one billion users within a few years.
User growth has accelerated steadily. Threads crossed 200 million users by mid-2024, reached 320 million by January 2025, and added tens of millions more in the months that followed, underscoring its growing relevance in the social media landscape.
Meta has been laying the groundwork for monetisation for some time. Threads began testing ads in the United States and Japan about a year ago, and in April 2025, the company opened the platform to global advertisers. The latest announcement extends ad delivery to users worldwide, moving Threads closer to Meta’s core revenue engine.
To simplify adoption for brands, Meta is allowing advertisers to include Threads placements automatically through its Advantage+ campaigns or manually through Ads Manager. Supported ad formats include image and video ads, as well as newer options such as 4:5 aspect ratio visuals and carousel ads. Advertisers can manage Threads campaigns alongside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp within Meta’s Business Settings, enabling easier cross-platform planning and execution.
Meta has also expanded third-party brand safety and suitability verification to Threads through its Meta Business Partners. This mirrors similar protections already in place on Facebook and Instagram feeds and Reels, giving advertisers independent oversight as they place ads on the platform. The move is particularly notable as competing platforms grapple with issues such as misinformation and AI-generated deepfakes.
While Meta did not disclose how frequently ads will appear in users’ feeds, the company said ad delivery will remain relatively low during the initial phase of the global rollout.
The introduction of ads worldwide signals Meta’s confidence in Threads as a long-term platform, positioning it not just as a fast-growing social network, but as a meaningful contributor to the company’s advertising business as competition for user attention intensifies across social and video platforms.
