Skip to main content

Threads to get an anti-spoiler feature for TV and movie discussions

If you’re anything like me, you have probably hesitated to open Threads after a big TV episode dropped. But starting this week, Meta’s platform will start testing out a way for users to hide spoilers in both text and images. Here’s how it’s going to work.

A long-overdue fix for spoiler-prone feeds

First things first: yes, other social platforms like Mastodon, Telegram, and Reddit have long offered their own ways to hide posts, or certain parts of posts, in order not to spoil plot points, big reveals, or other sensitive details.

Threads, meanwhile, has been a bit of a minefield in that department, depending on who you follow, or if you spend much time in the “For you” feed. Severance and The Last of Us fans know what I’m talking about.

But starting this week (via THR), when creating a post, some users will be able to mark specific content as a spoiler.

Image: Meta, via THR

As also reported by The Verge:

“With the test, you’ll be able to blur content by tapping an image or highlighting text and selecting the “mark spoiler” option.”

And

“On desktop, spoilers are hidden by a gray block, but they appear behind a bunch of floating dots on mobile.”

The move plays into Threads’ ongoing push to position itself as a friendlier space for real-time pop culture conversations, as it tries to stay clear of more divisive real-time discussions. Meta says this new feature is designed to encourage even more of that. And while it is a “global test”, there is no word yet on where, when (or if) it will roll out more broadly.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Marcus Mendes Marcus Mendes

Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.

He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.