Threads, a Slack alternative completely unrelated to Instagram, has seen downloads surge. Instagram’s Twitter clone Threads had a successful first week, passing 30 million users in the first 24 hours and reaching 100 million signups within five days. However, the launch of Instagram’s Threads inadvertently brought attention to Threads (the Slack alternative), resulting in a surge in downloads and increased website traffic.

The Confusion Between the Two Apps

Threads (the Slack alternative) saw a significant increase in traffic to its website following the launch of Instagram’s Threads. This is largely due to the fact that Threads (the Slack alternative) owns the Threads.com domain name, whereas Instagram’s incarnation is on the less sexy Threads.net. The confusion between the two apps led Threads (the Slack alternative) to see a major spike in downloads, with over 880,000 downloads globally on iOS alone. It was also the 52nd most downloaded app globally overall and the third most downloaded app in the “business” category.

Threads (the Slack alternative) Clarifies Its Association with Instagram

Threads (the Slack alternative) had to clarify its association with Instagram by adding disclaimers on its website and App Store listing. The visitors and downloads it has seen off the back of the confusion will unlikely have translated into a new business, as disappointed users will have quickly realized that this was not what they were looking for. Though the profile boost the startup has enjoyed could be construed as great free publicity.

Scenarios involving multiple companies sharing brand names are not uncommon, and there are several companies called Lightyear and another startup called Threads, a chat-based shopping platform based out of the U.K. Threads’ (the Slack alternative) predicament is hardly a new phenomenon, particularly when you consider that Instagram previously had a companion app called Threads which it launched in 2019 and shuttered two years later.

“Threads is a powerful word and an internet native term,” Threads co-founder and CEO Rousseau Kazi said in a stock statement issued. “Using threads — on various platforms — is the best way to stay connected with your work or pay. Given this, it comes as no surprise that Meta chose a powerful label to represent their take on building the town square.” Notably, Kazi also worked at Facebook (before it morphed into Meta) in a product management capacity for six years.

Further down the line, if or when Instagram’s Threads gain more traction, businesses will likely have to integrate it into their social media strategy. This could also get confusing for (would-be) customers of Threads (the Slack alternative), as companies would have to manage two completely separate communication platforms with the exact same name.