Launched as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter), Meta’s Threads is currently testing a new feature that will help users find real-time search results based on their recency. Notably, this may seem like an easy fix, as its parent, Meta, recently announced plans to tag AI-generated posts in May 2024. However, the ability to perform chronological search has been a demand of Threads users for quite some time.

According to a screenshot shared by Threads user Daniel RodriguezAs Instagram head Adam Mosri later confirmed, it allows users to filter search results by when they occurred. Adam wrote“We’re starting to test it with a small number of people, so it’s easier to find relevant search results in real time.”

It should be noted that the real-time Threads search results feature is currently in testing with several users, and those who have it see two options, namely, top and last. Threads user Rodríguez, who first spotted the change, said, “Recent ones aren’t exactly chronological, they seem to show more recent posts than the top feed.”

The screenshot shared by Rodriguez shows one last option for ‘NBA Threads’, something Mosseri already has Aggressive promotion within the app. As the feature is under testing, sorting news by ‘Recent’ may not show posts chronologically, however, it does show the most recent news or topics at the top.

Previously, searching for something on Threads would show algorithmic search results, meaning it would actually show posts that were trending on the platform based on the engagement it received rather than its occurrence.

With Threads’ real-time search results, a user will be able to search for the latest posts from other users, regardless of their engagement metrics. This is a nice change for Threads users, as recently Threads had to temporarily pull the plug from Turkey on April 29 due to its links with Instagram.