Meta's Threads Tests New Recent Filter Feature

Meta-owned social media platform, Threads is in the process of testing a new "Recent" filter feature. 

Instagram Head, Adam Mosseri disclosed this on Monday, during a chat with a user. 

Mosseri disclosed that this functionality aims to organize search results based on the most recent posts, offering users an updated view of ongoing conversations and events. 

He specified that the rollout is part of a "limited test" and has been made available to only a select group of users. 

Mosseri explained, "We're starting to test this with a small number of people, so it's easier to find relevant search results in real-time," in response to a user inquiry regarding the new feature. 

Users participating in the trial reported that the "Recent" filter appears alongside the existing "Top" filter on the search results screen. 

This development follows an earlier incident this year when Threads inadvertently introduced the option to sort search results by recency, albeit for a limited number of users. 

At the time, the company labelled it as an "internal prototype" for testing purposes. 

Notably, last November, Mosseri had expressed reservations about implementing real-time search capabilities on Threads due to potential safety concerns. 

He highlighted the risk of creating a "safety loophole" by allowing spammers and malicious actors to exploit the feature. 

Mosseri clarified, "Having a comprehensive list of *every* post with a specific word in chronological order inevitably means spammers and other bad actors pummel the view with content by simply adding the relevant words or tags. And before you ask why we don't take down that bad content, understand there's a lot more content that people don't want to see than we can or should take down."