Meta has officially launched its rival to Twitter, offering users an alternative to the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk.

The app, called Threads, offers a text-based version of Meta’s photo-sharing app Instagram designed for “real-time updates and public conversations”.

The app is now available to download from Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in over 100 countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Japan.

However, Threads has not been launched in the EU because of the bloc’s strict data privacy rules.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, has been building Threads for several months and has sought to recruit celebrity users who have abandoned Twitter in protest at Mr Musk’s often erratic leadership.

Instagram, which developed the new app, also hopes its existing large user base will provide an advantage against Twitter.