Instagram planning to release text-based app to rival Twitter

It looks like Twitter might soon have some new competition from Instagram.

Instagram, which is owned by Meta, is planning to release a new text-based app to rival Twitter, according to reports.

Bloomberg on Friday noted that “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 upcoming Instagram app, Bloomberg reported, is slated to launch during the summer.

For now, Instagram allows users to share photos and videos, as well as “stories.” It also currently has an in-app messaging product that allows users to privately exchange text, photos, posts and stories with other users.

Billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter in October. He recently announced Linda Yaccarino from NBCUniversal would be taking over as the company’s CEO.

I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk tweeted last week. “@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology. Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”

In December, Musk vowed he would resign as Twitter’s CEO as soon as he finds “someone foolish enough to take the job.”

That announcement came a few days after he created an informal poll, asking Twitter users if he should step down.

With more than 17.5 million votes, 57.5% of Twitter users said yes, while 42.5% said no.