Meta's Threads app latest update makes searching easier
Meta's Threads, the Instagram-based alternative to Elon Musk's X, is back with more new features. The latest update is all about making search simpler.
The app is adding a fresh way to search for specific posts, giving users the option to filter by profile and date range. This new search feature will be available to users worldwide in the next few weeks.
Prior to this update, the search function on Threads was pretty simple. You could search using one or more keywords, but your results were limited to just two filters: "Top" for the most engaged posts or "Recent" for the newest ones.
Threads' new search feature isn't as robust as X's advanced search, which allows for filtering by language, keywords, exact phrases, excluded words, hashtags, and more. Still, it does make finding specific posts on Threads much easier. But if Meta aims to compete with X's advanced search features, there's still room for improvement.
And it's not just with X, though. This update is part of a series of moves like Custom feeds as Meta pushes out new features to keep up with the rising challenge from Bluesky, a social networking startup that's quickly gaining traction as another alternative to X. With this new search update, Threads is getting closer to matching Bluesky's search capabilities, which also lets users filter results by profiles, date ranges, and more using advanced queries.
The app is adding a fresh way to search for specific posts, giving users the option to filter by profile and date range. This new search feature will be available to users worldwide in the next few weeks.
Soon, you’ll see the option to refine your search by a profile and date range. | Image credit – Meta
And it's not just with X, though. This update is part of a series of moves like Custom feeds as Meta pushes out new features to keep up with the rising challenge from Bluesky, a social networking startup that's quickly gaining traction as another alternative to X. With this new search update, Threads is getting closer to matching Bluesky's search capabilities, which also lets users filter results by profiles, date ranges, and more using advanced queries.
Both Threads and Bluesky have seen a surge in users this past month. Meta's app gained 35 million new users in November, while Bluesky now boasts over 24 million users. What's behind this? Likely, it's the mass exodus from X, driven by frustrations over Elon Musk's political views and changes in policy, like altering how blocks work and allowing AI companies to use X user data for training (though to be honest, Meta isn't entirely off the hook for this either).
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