Meta’s text-based social network Threads, has announced plans to roll out the highly anticipated “search” feature on the platform.
At the moment, users can only search for usernames on Threads, therefore, the company is working on bringing full-text-based search.
Announcing the launch of the “search” feature on Threads, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on the platform, “Get Excited, Search is coming to Threads”.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
As with previous early-stage releases, advanced search filters or options are not available in this initial version.
Reports reveal that Threads is already testing the search feature in Australia and New Zealand, and is planning for a wider rollout to other English-speaking countries.
Meanwhile, there was no specific timeframe provided for the rollout, but the Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, stated that the company is also working on adding more languages and requested feedback from those who are already testing the feature.
The launch of the “Search” feature on Threads, is coming a week after the platform rolled out its web version. According to suggestions, being able to use Threads from the web is a potential game-changer for those still trying to make the shift from X (Formerly Twitter).
From day one, web support has been among users’ top requests, which shows that the company is actively listening to its user’s requests and working on more features to enhance their experience.
Notably, Threads has been trying to increase sign-ups and user engagement on the app, after the excitement during its launch dwindled. Most users were disappointed by the lack of features on the app compared to its rival Twitter (now called X).
Threads came out of the gate strong, breaking records to become the fastest app to top 100 million users within days of its arrival, thanks to the clever way it leveraged Instagram’s social graph to onboard new users. According to market intelligence firm data.ai., the app topped 200 million installs at launch.
Since then, user engagement has declined rapidly post-launch, with app intelligence firm Sensor Tower noting that Threads’ daily active user count fell 82% from launch as of July 31, leading to just 8 million daily active users. The app had peaked at roughly 44 million daily users following its launch, indicating a large drop-off.
This has spurred Threads to roll out most of the sought-after features such as the following tab, and repost tab, amongst others.
However, it appears that Zuck, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and the Threads team are not sitting on their laurels, as they are working tirelessly to bring more sought-after features on the Threads platform as soon as possible.
With some of the most highly requested features already launched, the team can now move on to working on the implementation of Direct messages, hashtags, and other features that its competitors already offer.
Meta’s head Zuckerberg has been pushing for new Threads features to improve retention rates. Last month, he told employees that he considered the drop in active users to be “normal,” adding that things would likely improve as the app added more features.
Also, Meta’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, said the company was working on “retention-driving hooks” to boost daily user rates.