Slowly but surely, update by update, Threads is becoming a solid Twitter (X) replacement. It’s taking some time, of course: Since the app’s launch in July, we’ve seen basic features trickle in, such as bookmarks, the ability to edit your posts, and a functioning web app. Now, we’re getting two more core features you’d expect from a social media app: drafts and an in-app camera.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, announced the new features on his Threads account. Mosseri said Threads had been testing both features, but as of Thursday, would be rolling them out to all users on the platform, in an effort to make it “easier to share your ideas on the fly.”
That’s why these basic features are important to the overall experience of using an app like Threads: When functions like saving drafts and taking photos within the app are missing, you need to rely on outside tools to accomplish the same tasks. When you can’t save a draft of a post you’re thinking about, you need to save it to something like your Notes app: When you want to post a quick photo of something in front of you, but the app doesn’t support taking pictures, you need to take the photo first in your phone’s Camera app, then upload the picture to Threads. It doesn’t stop you from being able to use the app, of course, but it does put up unnecessary road blocks to the experience.
How to save a draft in Threads
Although it’s great to have this basic functionality, Threads doesn’t make it abundantly clear how to actually save a post as a draft. After you’re done typing your post, swipe down on the window. Threads will hide the composer, and present a subtle pop-up informing you it saved your draft. To retrieve your draft, just tap on the composer icon again: Threads will automatically pull your draft into the composer, so you can review it before posting.
Unfortunately, right now, Threads only lets you save one draft at a time. I assume the company will roll out the ability to save multiple drafts in the future, but for the time being, this is the only way to do it in the app. If you want to save more ideas, you’ll still need to rely on some third-party source to jot down your thoughts.
How to take a picture in Threads
Snapping a photo in Threads is much more straightforward. When creating your post, hit the new camera icon below the text field. Grant Threads permission to access your phone’s camera, then take your picture.
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