Meta Threads tests pinned columns on the web, similar to the old TweetDeck

X, formerly Twitter, transformed TweetDeck into X Pro and put it behind a paywall. But there’s a new column-based social media tool in town, and it comes from Instagram Threads.

Mark Zuckerberg announced today that the social network was testing pinned columns on the web. Although Meta’s CEO didn’t mention what you can pin on the interface with this tool, the screenshot he posted suggests that you can at least pin topics.

Meta said that currently you can pin your favorite searches, accounts, saved posts, and notifications. You can also enable auto-refresh for this column for faster updates. The company said this feature is only available to a small number of people around the world.

The move could also mean that the Threads API could give third-party developers more flexibility to present the social network’s content in a different way. However, so far Meta has not talked about allowing developers to create independent Threads clients through its API.

Some developers have created TweetDeck-like experiences for social networks like Bluesky and Mastodon. Mastodon also has its own built-in TweetDeck-style interface on the web. But Zuckerberg’s announcement is the first step in the direction of a column-based tool for Threads.

The most important question is: do they call it ThreadsDeck?