Don’t know the meaning of symbols and icons on Threads? Here we are going to explain the meaning of each icon and symbol on Threads to help you understand and make the app experience better.
Threads is a brand new app, that emerged to compete with social media giant, Twitter. To make Threads more intuitive than Twitter, the UI/UX people behind Threads came up with different symbols and icons. Today, we are going to go deeper and will explain the meaning of Threads symbols and icons.
There are a couple of symbols on Threads and each symbol/icon has its own function. After knowing the function of each symbol or icon on Threads, you will be able to use the app in a much better way. The basic function and meaning of Threads Symbols and icons will be the same no matter if you are using Threads on iPhone or Android.
Also See: How to Save Instagram Stories with Music
Meaning of Threads Symbols & Icons
There are a lot of screens on Threads and each screen has its own symbols & icons. To make it easy to understand, we have sorted the symbols and icons on the basis of the screen. It is advised to open the Threads app on your smartphone and go along with each screen.
Table of Content
1. Threads Home Screen Symbol Meaning
Starting from the Home screen of Threads which is the first screen you see when you open Threads. Here is what each icon and symbols mean on Threads:
Threads Logo
At the top, first, you will see the Threads logo which doesn’t do anything when you tap on it but if you swipe down the home screen, it starts moving and shows animation. Slowly swipe down and then swipe up the home feed and it will animate accordingly.
Blue Tick icon
If you are seeing a blue tick icon on Threads home screen, that clearly means the Verified account. Now anyone can get that blue tick on their profile picture by subscribing to Meta Verified services, even if you are not a celebrity, politician, or public figure.
Profile Picture with Plus Icon
Plus icon on someone’s profile picture on Threads means you are not following that account. Tapping on their profile picture will ask you to follow them. You can directly follow them from the home screen of the Threads without visiting their profile.
Clustered Profile Pictures icon
On the home screen, you might see multiple profile pictures in the cluster that basically is showing the profile picture of users who have replied to the post. Tapping on that cluster icon will open the replies on that post.
Home Symbol
‘Home’ symbol basically takes you to the top of the feed if you have lost deeper into the posts. A single tap on the ‘Home’ symbol will take you to the top and if you tap on the Home icon again, it will refresh the feed and shows the latest posts. If you have lost somewhere deeper into the app settings or someone’s profile, Home Symbol will also take you to the home screen of Threads.
Lens Symbol
Just next to the ‘Home’ symbol, there is another symbol that looks similar to a lens. If you want to search someone’s profile on Threads, this ‘Lens’ symbol will help you out. Tapping on the ‘Lens’ icon will open the search page where you can search for someone’s profile.
Writing Pad or Notepad with Pen Symbol
Next, the ‘Writing Pad with a pen or pencil’ symbol which means the new post. If you want to post something on Threads, tap on this ‘Notepad’ icon and it will take you to another screen for starting a new Thread (post). In the ‘New Thread’ screen, you will also see an ‘Attachment’ icon that you can use to attach photos or videos with the new Thread.
Heart Symbol
The Heart Symbol on Threads means the Activity screen. When anyone follows you, liked your post, Replies, or Mentions you, you will get a notification under this Heart Symbol. You will also see a red dot below the Heart which means a new notification or activity. All the Replies, Mentions, and activities from the Verified account are sorted into different tabs which gets easier to access.
Person Symbol
Just next to Heart Symbol, you will find a ‘Person’ symbol that means your Threads profile. From this ‘Person’ symbol, you can edit your profile, share your Threads profile link, see the replies, open the Threads app settings and much more. This is your private area where you can control all the settings related to your Threads account.
These are all the symbols you will see on Threads’ home screen. The symbols are pretty self-explanatory but sometimes these symbols get confusing. But now that we have Thread’s symbols explained, it would be much easier to access the app.
Now let’s move on to another screen to understand the meaning of Threads’ symbols and icons.
2. Threads Profile Screen Symbols Meaning
The profile screen of Threads app also got some icons and symbols. These symbols are limited in number and it is easier to keep track of what each symbol do. So here is the meaning of Threads profile screen symbols & icons:
Globe Icon (Lock Icon on Private accounts)
The first icon or symbol you see on the Threads profile screen is this ‘Globe’ icon. If your Threads account is private, you will see the ‘Lock’ icon instead of the ‘Globe’ icon. The meaning of both icons is the same. This ‘Global’ icon will take you directly to the Privacy Settings of Threads.
Also See: How to Make Threads Account Private
Instagram Icon
You might be wondering what is the meaning of Instagram icon on the Threads app. Well, tapping on the Instagram icon on the Threads app will open your Instagram profile where you can edit, and modify the Instagram settings which also apply to Threads profile.
Since there are some Threads profile settings that are only accessible from Instagram, the UI/UX team might come up with the idea to place the Instagram icon on the Threads app for quick access. You will also find Threads icon on your Instagram account.
Also See: How to unfollow Inactive Twitter Followers
Half Hamburger Icon (Asymmetric Lines icon)
Right next to the Instagram icon, there are 2 horizontal lines that are asymmetric. This icon means the Threads ‘Settings’. Here you will find all the Threads account settings which include Notification settings, Privacy settings, Account settings, Language settings, Help, About and Log out from Threads.
So next time you want to do modify, or edit any setting related to your Threads account, find this horizontal lines icon at the top right corner of the app.
These are the only icons and symbols you will find on the Threads profile screen. The ‘Global’ icon means Privacy settings, the ‘Instagram’ icon will open your Instagram profile and the ‘2 horizontal lines’ icon means Threads settings.
3. Threads Post Screen Symbols/icons Meaning
If you have opened any posts and wondering what different icons and symbols mean, here are all the Threads symbols and icons explained:
Meatballs Menu icon
The meatballs menu icon on the Threads post lets you mute, hide, block, and report the post. If you are seeing the post of someone you are already following, you will also see ‘Unfollow’ option. You can directly unfollow the person right from the Meatballs Menu icon on Threads. If you want to see the following list, here is how to see the following list on threads that, otherwise, are not visible on the Threads profile.
Heart Icon
The Heart Icon on Threads post means ‘Like’. Tapping on the Heart icon on the Threads post screen will like the post and turn the heart red. The other person will also get a notification of you liking their post. If you want to hide the likes count on your post, here is how to turn off like count on Threads.
Chat Bubble Icon
That little chat bubble icon on the Threads post screen means ‘Reply’. There are no comments on Threads instead you reply on Threads. If you want to reply, tap on this bubble icon and write the reply.
Dual Circular Arrows Icon
Just like a retweet on Twitter, these 2 circular icon on Threads means Reposting. You can repost someone’s post on your profile. You can also Quote the post with your own caption before posting it on your profile. Here is how to repost on Threads for more info.
Paper Plane Icon
The Paper Plane icon on Threads means ‘Sharing’. You can add the Threads post to your Instagram Story, Instagram Feed. You can even Tweet that Threads post to Twitter. If you want to copy the post link, this Paper Plane icon also allows you to copy the Threads post link and share the post externally using other apps like WhatsApp, Reddit, Gmail etc.
Speaker Icon
This icon is only visible on Video posts. That Speaker icon on the Threads app lets you mute and unmute the sound of the video. Simply tap on this ‘Speaker’ icon to mute and unmute the video.
Profile Pictures with Down Arrow Icon
If you are seeing multiple profile pictures with a down arrow icon on someone’s post, that means the ‘Replies’ on the comment. Tapping on this icon will open further comments on the reply.
Also See: How to find Someone’s Instagram Account using Phone Number
Threads Icons & Symbols Explained
These are pretty much all the Threads symbols explained with their function. There would be more updates to the app which will bring more icons and symbols but for now, we have explained almost every symbol of the Threads app. If we have missed anything, do mention it in the comments below.
