Threads Expands Search Feature to English and Spanish-Speaking Countries

Instagram's Threads is extending its search feature to a broader range of English and Spanish-speaking countries. The decision comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement that the feature was being tested in Australia and New Zealand.

The expansion will cover countries where English and Spanish are commonly spoken, including Argentina, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Initially, Threads, which is seen as a rival to Twitter and now called X, had a basic search function that only allowed users to find other Threads users but not their content. However, this changed recently with the introduction of a full-text search feature. Users can now search for keywords and topics being discussed on the platform, enhancing their overall search experience.

The company acknowledged that it values user feedback and intends to further improve the search feature based on user input.

This expansion of Threads' search capabilities aligns with Instagram's overall strategy to increase user engagement on its platform. Threads had a successful start, becoming the fastest app to reach 100 million users by seamlessly integrating with Instagram, making it easy for users to establish followers and connections quickly.

However, since its launch in July, Threads has experienced a decline in user activity. In August, mobile intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported an 82% decrease in daily active users since the launch, with only 8 million users accessing the app on a daily basis.

To counter this decline, Threads promptly introduced requested features such as search functionality and a fully functional web app. However, the launch of the web app had a minimal impact on increasing platform usage, with data from digital intelligence firm Similarweb indicating only a 3% increase in global traffic.