Twitter now lets users search their DMs for specific messages. Before the new update, the DM search feature could only sift through people’s names or the names of group chats, but now, users can type specific keywords into the search bar to see the list of messages that include specific words or phrases.
Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, and one that often rolls out new features for its app and website. Last month, the company made pinned DMs available to all users on Android, iOS, and the web. The feature was earlier available only to Twitter Blue users. Late last year, Twitter also introduced other new features to its app, including the ability to DM a tweet to up to 20 people.
To search direct messages (DMs) on Twitter, open the app and navigate to the inbox by tapping on the ‘envelope’ icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen. A search bar will now be visible at the top. Start typing the keyword or phrase that needs to be searched. Results will populate below the search bar in real-time, displaying messages containing the word or phrase being typed. One thing worth noting, however, is that the new search functionality still lacks the ability to search historical DMs. According to The Verge, the displayed results only go back to 2020, and not earlier. So as things stand now, the feature can seemingly only search up to two-year-old messages, but that may change with a future update.
A Proper DM Search Feature
The introduction of a proper DM search feature is a welcome move from Twitter as it allows users to search for specific conversations they’ve had with friends and followers on the platform. For instance, it could come in handy when trying to remember a chocolate dessert recipe someone shared earlier, where users can simply type “chocolate” to see that message without having to scroll through dozens of unrelated messages. It could also help while trying to find a direct message sent to a company seeking support for their product or service.
With Twitter becoming an increasingly important medium of communication, people are using it not only for conversations with friends and family, but also for interacting with colleagues, clients, and businesses. Many of those interactions take place over DMs, which is why a proper DM search feature was long overdue. The new feature will now help Twitter users find important DMs in a matter of seconds, just like they would on any other messaging app.
