Finally! Twitter’s rival, Threads, now lets you search for posts by keyword

Users of the Meta Threads application finally have the possibility to search for messages based on a keyword or a term. In a message published last Friday, Al Mosseri, head of Instagram, confirmed that the new keyword search was being rolled out in English and Spanish in some countries. The new option will be available in the mobile version of Threads as well as on the website, which was officially launched on August 24.

Previously, the search tool in Threads was limited because it only allowed to search for other accounts. The ability to search for messages has been one of the most requested functions by Thread users and now corresponds to a similar function on competing social networks such as X (formerly known as Twitter) and Bluesky.

For my part, the new keyword search is accessible on the Threads website but not on the mobile application, a sign that the option is still being deployed.

Designed to attract X users tired of its owner’s escapades

To try the new search on the website or in the application, select the Search icon. By typing in your keyword or term, you will automatically get the corresponding accounts. If you press the Search button in the application or the Return key on your computer keyboard on the website, the list of corresponding messages is displayed.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Designed in part to attract X users tired of the escapades of its owner Elon Musk, Threads attracted more than 100 million new users in less than a week after its launch in early July. But these numbers soon began to decrease.

After a peak in volume on July 7, the number of active daily users had dropped by 70% by July 26, according to Sensor Tower. And from July 7 to August 7, the number of users dropped by 79%, according to the web analytics company Similarweb.

To appeal to new and old users, Threads has strived to add new features and improve existing ones. The launch of the website in August was a major evolution, because the platform was previously only accessible in the form of a mobile application. With the keyword search now complete, there are other items on the most pressing wish list, including an edit button, a direct messaging function and a hashtag system.

Source: “ZDNet.com “