The new standalone app will be based on Instagram and integrate with ActivityPub, the decentralized social media protocol. That will theoretically allow users of the new app to take their accounts and followers with them to other apps that support ActivityPub, including Mastodon.
Source: This is what Instagram’s upcoming Twitter competitor looks like
Resolves YES if any app (iOS or Android) by Meta (or siblings like Instagram) allows to interact (e.g. reply to or favorite their toots) with users on mastodon.social before 2024.
Resolves NO if no such app appears. Also NO if the app allows no real interaction, like read-only following.
Update clarification: It is not relevant how the Fediverse reacts here. Threads getting blocked/banned does not mean this resolves NO.
I expect all of this to take the better part of a year, and to roll out in stages
@TP8ac2 The description is in the direction of Meta/etc users interacting with mastodon.social. Right now its only the other way around I think (mastodon.social can follow Threads but not the other way around), but it looks like they might get there soon (some technical problems to work out).
@parhizj note that following alone is not sufficient: "NO if the app allows no real interaction, like read-only following."
Seems like it probably won't be supported yet when it launches:
Soon, you’ll be able to follow and interact with people on other fediverse platforms, like Mastodon. They can also find you with your full username @username@threads.net.
https://9to5google.com/2023/07/03/threads-instagram-app-countdown-plus-details/