Starting in September 2026, Meta no longer requires advertisers to keep matching usernames between Threads and Instagram to run Threads ads. Businesses with no Instagram presence at all can now launch ads directly from a native Threads profile, a real shift from treating Threads as an Instagram add-on to treating it as its own advertising channel.
What Changed
Previously, running Threads ads effectively meant maintaining a matching Instagram account alongside it. That requirement is gone. Advertisers can now build a Threads-specific identity and run campaigns there without needing an equivalent Instagram footprint, opening the platform to brands that never built an Instagram presence in the first place.
Why Meta Is Making This Change Now
With Threads reaching roughly 500 million users, Meta has an incentive to treat it as an independent audience rather than an Instagram appendage. Threads users skew toward text-first, conversational engagement that behaves differently from Instagram’s more visual feed, and Meta’s ad tooling is starting to reflect that difference instead of forcing one strategy to fit both platforms.
What This Means for Advertisers
For brands already active on Instagram, this mostly removes friction, campaigns can now be tailored to Threads’ more conversational tone without worrying about username consistency across apps. For brands that skipped Instagram entirely, or that want to test a platform-specific voice, it’s a genuine new entry point, especially for niches where Threads’ text-and-discussion format outperforms a photo feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need an Instagram account to run Threads ads?
No. As of September 2026, businesses can run Threads ads using only a native Threads profile, with no matching Instagram account required.
Why did Meta remove the username-matching requirement?
Meta is positioning Threads as an independent platform with around 500 million users and distinct, more conversational user behavior, rather than treating it as a feature of Instagram.
Should I run the same ads on Threads and Instagram?
Not necessarily. Threads’ text-first, discussion-driven format tends to reward a more conversational tone than Instagram’s visual feed, so tailoring creative to each platform usually performs better than reusing the same assets.
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Source: Social Media Today.