Meta Platforms-owned Instagram is planning to release a text-based app that will compete with Twitter.

The company is currently testing the project with celebrities and influencers, according to people familiar with the matter. It has been secretly available to select creators for months, according to one of the people.

The app, which will be separate from Instagram but will allow people to connect accounts, may debut as soon as June, according to Lia Haberman, who teaches social and influencer marketing at the University of California (Los Angeles) and published a screenshot of an early app description. It may eventually be compatible with other Twitter competitor apps, including Mastodon, according to Haberman’s screenshot.

Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Twitter’s chaotic takeover by Elon Musk has caused some users to look for alternatives, and created an opening in the market.

“Historically, we know Meta likes to sample and recreate features from other apps and third-party tools based on what they anticipate being popular with their users,” Haberman said.

She noted that Musk has talked about turning Twitter into an “everything app”, with a lot of features besides informational posts. “Based on Meta’s track record borrowing from other platforms, it’s much more likely they’ll get there first by consolidating all these experiences they’re building.” — Sarah Frier, (c) 2023 Bloomberg LP