Observed Signal · Jun 24, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: onlinemarketing.de · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Threads Tests 'Buddy Lists' Private Sharing Feature
Threads is reportedly testing a new 'Buddy Lists' feature that would let users create personal contact lists and share posts only with those selected people, similar to Instagram's Close Friends. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi shared the discovery on Threads. The change could encourage more private, spontaneous sharing among smaller circles, but it may also reduce public reach and raise usability or privacy considerations. Meta or Threads have not announced an official rollout date or confirmation.
A product-level test from a major social platform (Meta/Threads) could alter content distribution and user behaviour on the platform, with implications for organic reach, measurement and advertisers' audience strategies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Threads is reportedly testing a feature called 'Buddy Lists' to allow private sharing with selected contacts.
- App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi demonstrated the Buddy Lists test on Threads.
- The feature would let users create a personal list of contacts and restrict posts to that list, similar to Instagram's Close Friends.
- No official launch date or confirmation from Meta/Threads has been announced.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“On Instagram, users can already share various formats with Close Friends (Stories, Feed Posts, Reels, Live videos and Notes); the article co...”
“Meta — parent company of Instagram and Threads — is referenced indirectly (image credit © Meta) and is the platform group behind Threads and...”
“OnlineMarketing.de — the publisher of the article — reported the discovery and published the story on 2026-06-24 (author: Larissa Ceccio)....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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