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Threadsdebuted in early July as Meta’s competitor to X, the app formerly known as Twitter. Since its release, Threads has slowly been picking up new features to try and compete with X. Last week, Meta finally debuted a website version of its new short-form social media platform, and now, the service is bringing out a function that many thought should have been standard.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta,has announcedthat Threads now has a keyword search function. Alongside this announcement came a GIF of Vin Diesel in a white tank top saying “I bet you gonna enjoy this.” Based on the GIF and the “get excited” wording, it’s clear that Meta knew this feature was wanted. Still, it’sbeen almost two monthssince the service started, and a keyword search feature feels like a standard function that should have been available on day one.
In a statement toThe Verge, Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai elaborated that the keyword search feature is only available in Australia and New Zealand at the moment, but support for other English-speaking countries is coming soon.
Functionality and usability for basic features like search are things you might expect to be ironed out before the alpha is over, not two months after the public release. It’s been a month since Threads addeda Following Tab, which was a bigger addition that made more sense to have left out of the initial public release. If Meta’s engineers are still focused on adding basic functionality, here’s hoping that Threads adds a desperately needed way to edit posts and search by topics — otherwise, it’ll keep feeling less like a competitor to X and more like a pet project.
UPDATE: 2025-06-21 11:15 EST BY DALLAS THOMAS
An Instagram spokesperson has added more context to this story
Speaking toThe Verge, Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai has clarified that the feature announced by Mark Zuckerberg will allow for keyword searches on Threads, but is currently only available to users in Australia and New Zealand. The company plans to expand keyword search availability to more English-speaking countries soon. An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported that keyword search was not yet available, but the article has now been updated to reflect this new information.
