Threads has released some new elements to celebrate its first anniversary, while it’s also shared new insight into how people are using the app, which now has over 175 million monthly active users.

First off, as you may have noticed, Threads has added party hats to profile images in the app, while there are also alternative app icons available to mark the Twitter-like platform's birthday

Also, if you share a post that uses the “One Year of Threads” tag this week, you’ll get a confetti effect, adding to the celebratory mood.

These are small but fun additions, which some of the most dedicated Threads users are leaning into by updating their profile image with a picture that better aligns with the party hat graphic.

The birthday elements will be available in the app for the next few days, if you’re interested in checking them out.

In addition to this, Threads has also shared some new data, via Wakefield Research into how people are using the app, based on a survey of 2,000 Threads users in the U.S.

Among the key notes:

• 60% of those surveyed indicated that connecting with others is the most important part of social media. Which is interesting considering the broader shift away from social interaction, and towards entertainment, primarily through short-form video. This may point to how Threads is looking to differentiate itself from Meta’s other apps.
• More than 50 million Topic Tags have been created on Threads thus far, with “PhotographyThreads”,; “BookThreads,” “GymThreads”,; “ArtThreads” and “TTPD” among the most popular (though Meta hasn’t provided specific usage data on these)
• The “TTPD” tag relates to Taylor Swift’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department.” Meta says that Swift fans are building a significant community in the app.
• 67% of Gen Z users are keen to keep up with entertainment-related news on Threads, with music, food and fashion also hot topics. This points to how Meta is trying to angle the app, shifting away from news and politics, and more towards light-hearted, gossip magazine-style news trends.
• Interestingly, 63% of Threads posts are text-only. Images and video now largely dominate engagement in other apps, so it’s interesting to note that the majority of Threads posts don’t include visuals, at least at this stage (note: previous research has shown that the majority of X posts are also text only, FWIW).
• More than 60% of both Gen Z and Millennial users love voice notes, “while nearly half of Gen X and a whopping 70% of Boomers don’t know what they are.” This is an important trend note, which could relate to how you angle your marketing.

These are some interesting insights into key Threads trends, which may give you a better understanding of how the app works, and what its 175 million users are coming to the app for.

And while it remains a relatively small platform in the broader social media space, growing to 175 million actives after just one year is significant, and it does seemingly have a chance to compete with the platform formerly known as Twitter in many aspects.

Right now, X remains the real-time social media app of choice, and at 250 million daily active users, it’s a fair way ahead. Threads is currently at 35% of X’s audience, though that could still change, and see X become a bigger consideration over time.

You can check out the full Threads engagement research here.