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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is on the verge of launching a new app that could potentially rival Twitter.

Known (at least for now) as “Barcelona,” the project will be built with Instagram in mind, but will also offer a decentralized platform similar to techy upstarts like Mastodon or Bluesky.

Image via ICYMI

How It Works

The app is designed to function like a large group chat that anyone can join. Barcelona is essentially a simplified version of Twitter, more aligned with a chat-based feed. This is a deliberate move by Meta, as over the last few years, more conversation on Instagram has switched to Direct Messages (DMs), with the main feed becoming a discovery platform. Users are moving away from public posting activity, and Barcelona is designed to cater to this shift.

Here are the key features:

• Instagram-adjacent: Users can sign in using their Instagram credentials and sync their Instagram followers.

• Character limit: The app allows users to post text updates of up to 500 characters and add links, photos, or videos up to 5 minutes long.

• Decentralized: The new app is being built on a decentralized back-end, which is Meta’s first attempt at building a decentralized network. This will make your profile compatible with other decentralized systems. As per Meta, users on apps like Mastodon will be able to search for, follow and interact with your profile and your content if you’re public, or if you’re private and approve them as followers.

The app is reportedly going to launch toward the end of June. Meanwhile, celebrities and high-profile sports stars are being offered early access to the platform.

Why it Matters

We know from news and trend forecasts that many companies are eying the apparent downfall of Twitter as an opportunity to step in and fill the void. Could Meta be the one to do it? They certainly have a great position from which to do so, with a huge audience and the resources to act quickly and efficiently. And letting people sync their followers from Instagram could be a brilliant move to increase early adoption and growth.

It will be interesting to see if Barcelona can successfully bridge the Instagram and Twitter user experiences. If they can, this could potentially change the dynamics of social media marketing: There would likely be a shift even further toward more conversational and interactive strategies.

The app's decentralized nature could also potentially open up new avenues for reaching audiences across different platforms. This aligns with the growing trend towards decentralized social media, offering marketers a chance to stay ahead of the curve.