Threads finally gets a search function, but it’s pretty basic

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Meta’s X (formerly Twitter) rival Threads is getting an important new feature. The company has finally added a search function to the new social media app. The feature is still barebones though, only allowing you to look up profiles. You can’t search posts using keywords or phrases.

Meta launched Threads in early July as an alternative to Twitter, which recently rebranded to X. It debuted as an Instagram app and immediately gained millions of users. One can log into Threads using their Instagram credentials, so users of the latter platform thronged the latest offering from Meta. The new app surpassed 100 million users just a few days after its launch.

However, Threads quickly lost its charm and half of its users. Much of this downfall was due to the lack of features on the platform. It lacked basic features like search and reposting. Early last month, Meta announced that these features would arrive soon. It rolled out reposting last week. Meta also launched a web version of the platform around the same time. It’s now adding a search function too.

Meta adds a search function to its Threads social media app

“Get excited — search is coming to Threads,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced via a post on the platform on Thursday. His post was accompanied by a GIF featuring Vin Diesel saying “I bet you gonna enjoy this.” It’s a clip from the Fast and Furious film franchise. The way Mark presented his announcement, it’s evident that Threads users highly wanted a search function. Thankfully, it’s now available.

The search button sits next to the home button on the bottom navigation bar of Threads. Tapping it presents you with a search bar at the top, followed by accounts that you may want to follow. Unfortunately, as said before, you can’t search for posts yet. The search function only lets you find accounts. You can follow accounts directly from search results or select an account to see its page and posts.

Hopefully, Meta will make the function more robust soon, something akin to X’s search feature. The latter platform lets you search accounts and posts using keywords, hashtags, and more. You can also sort search results using chips like Top, Latest, People, Media, and Lists. X offers location-based and follow-based filters as well. While we wait for Meta to add these features to Threads, you can click the button below to download the latest version of the app.

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2023-09-02 15:06:12