Meta is experimenting with a new feature for Threads that allows users to share long-form writing directly within a single post. This unannounced tool, called attach text, has been spotted by several users in testing. It enables the embedding of large chunks of text, moving beyond the platform’s current 500-character limit for a standard post.
The functionality appears similar to the articles feature available to Premium+ subscribers on X. It provides Threads users with the ability to embed longer text excerpts and offers some basic formatting tools for styling. According to text seen in a screenshot shared by a user, the feature is designed to let people share deeper thoughts, news snippets, book excerpts, and more with creative styling.
While not yet widely available, these long-form text attachments can already be viewed by anyone. On mobile devices, the text opens into a full-screen view for easy scrolling. On the Threads desktop website, the text appears within a dedicated window.
Meta has confirmed it is testing the ability to share long-form text but has not provided a timeline for a broader rollout. This new capability could significantly benefit creators, publishers, and other users who want to share more substantive content without forcing their audience to click an external link.
This development addresses a known user behavior on Threads. Engadget’s own reporting has found that the vast majority of Threads users rarely click on links shared within posts. By keeping long-form content directly on the platform, Meta could foster more engagement and provide a better experience for readers who prefer to stay within the app.
However, the feature also carries potential risks. It could make the already insular 400-million-user platform even more of a walled garden, discouraging traffic to external websites. Furthermore, early screenshots indicate that posts containing these text attachments cannot be shared to other services within the fediverse. This limitation could pose a challenge to Meta’s stated goal of making Threads interoperable with other ActivityPub-supported platforms like Mastodon.
The introduction of long-form text represents a strategic expansion of Threads’ capabilities as it continues to evolve and compete in the social media landscape.
