Meta’s Threads app, initially positioning itself as a competitor to X,formerly known as Twitter, took a significant step towards feature parity with its main competitor by introducing a keyword search functionality last week. Now, the app is making strides to expand this feature’s availability beyond its initial confines of Australia and New Zealand.
As CEO Mark Zuckerbergannounced today, the keyword search functionality will soon be accessible to most English- and Spanish-speaking countries. This follows a previous announcement about thefeature’s debutexclusively in Australia and New Zealand. At the time, the introduction sparked conversations about the timely need for such a feature, which many believed should’ve been a staple from the outset.
It’s worth noting that while Threads had incorporated a search tab since its launch, the initial iteration was a simple profile search feature. The previous function allowed users to search for specific profiles, much like how one might navigate Instagram or Facebook. However, this limited search did not meet the extensive demands of users looking to search for keywords or specific topics, a capability that’s standard on platforms like Twitter. The recent upgrade is a step in the right direction, answering these user needs.
Several users have shown excitement for the expanded availability of the keyword search feature. Comments like “Already working for me!!” and “It works! Nailed it” shed light on the positive reception among the Threads community. Additionally, there’s a palpable anticipation for more advanced features to make their appearance on the platform, with some users emphasizing the potential for Threads to evolve into a “safer space to engage, learn and have fun” provided the addition of more functionalities like search.
This is a crucial move for Threads in its race to catch up to X, but the fact that it’s only available in two languages is still a major limitation. There are less than a billion people who speak English or Spanish natively, so that leaves about 7 billion folks still waiting for keyword search.
