There are now four ways to get your Threads account appearing on your Windows or Mac desktop.
Yes we have a Threads account (follow us @officewatch) . All our new articles are posted on Threads, as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Web Page
The new Threads social media now has a web page interface (at late August 2023) go to https://www.threads.net/
Open that site with any modern browser. You can view and post Threads from there.
Android emulators for Windows or Mac
Threads is available via apps for Apple or Android – links for them at https://www.threads.net/
There are three different ways to any Android app working on either Windows or Mac.
They all work but some are easier to install than others. We’re using one of these options to get Threads on our desktop but the same trick is there for any Android app or game you want on your bigger screen.
Windows has an ‘Android Subsystem’ feature but it’s quite messy to install. We had the devils own time getting it to work, the details on how it should work are below.
Happily, there are two easier ways that work on Windows (not just Windows 11) and Mac.
There are two existing Android platforms that work on either Windows or Mac. They are a lot easier to setup than the clumsy Microsoft option. A Google account is required for Google Play, most people have a Google account.
We had no trouble setting up NoxPlayer but there’s also BlueStacks – both are free.
Once installed, login to your Google Account for Google Play then install the Threads app. Here’s our Threads account (follow us @officewatch) as it appears on our Windows computer complete with clipboard copy/paste support.
These two products are aimed at game players. There’s a lot of promotion for various games including graphics of clothed but anatomically unlikely ladies (if you take our meaning). You can ignore all that and just use it for Threads or any other apps you like.
iPhone / iPad users
Normally use an iPhone or iPad? No problem. The Threads app for Android works almost the same way.
Yes, there is a way to run Apple apps on a Mac computer but it’s a developer tool, not suitable for us regular people <g>.
Windows 11 subsystem for Android
Windows 11 has an Android emulator in-built called the ‘Amazon Appstore’. At the moment the Threads app is NOT available via that Appstore.
To use it, search for “Windows features” then choose ‘Turn Windows features on or off’.
Make sure that ‘Virtual Machine Platform’ and ‘Windows Hypervisor Platform’ are selected. Your computer will need a reboot if those two features have to be installed.
The computer will need its virtualization options setup in the BIOS. Most likely they are on by default but, if not, check with your computer maker about how to do it.
Next install the Amazon App Store from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft has delegated app sourcing/sales to Amazon, instead of Google Play.
The Amazon Appstore requires an Amazon account, even if you’re only using free apps. With the Appstore, you can choose Threads and run it.
Between the installation of new Windows features, changing BIOS settings and other annoyance, we suggest sticking with the other emulators mentioned above.
