Meta is expanding the scope of Threads by introducing support for long-form posts, moving the app further away from its original 500-character limit. The new feature, now live for iOS users, allows posts up to 10,000 characters through “text attachments” that can also include basic formatting like bold and italics.
Originally spotted in testing by app researcher Radu Oncescu, the feature works by letting users attach a block of formatted text to their standard post. The attached section appears in a gray box with a “Read more” button that expands the content. At present, these text blocks don’t support embedded media or hyperlinks within the body, but Meta has confirmed that additional capabilities are in development.
In a newsroom update, Meta framed the change as a way for users to “convey more complex perspectives” directly within Threads, while still giving them the option to include external links at the end of their main post. Unlike X, where long-form posting is tied to premium subscriptions, Threads is making the capability available to all users at no extra cost.
Early examples, such as a demo post by Robert P. Nickson, show how formatted attachments could be useful for essays, creative writing, announcements, or simply cleaner long posts that go beyond Threads’ original microblogging focus.
This update also reflects Threads’ gradual evolution from a Twitter-style alternative into a broader publishing tool, competing not only with X but also with blogging platforms and long-form social media spaces like Medium or Substack. By combining short updates with optional deeper dives, Meta is betting that Threads can attract both casual users and creators who need more space to share ideas.
