Twitter is finally testing improved direct message search features

Twitter (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Twitter is testing new advanced search features to make it easier to find direct messages.
The features are being tested but there is no indication of when they will go live.

Searching for content within Twitter DMs has long been a problem, but the social network is now working on a fix. As discovered by developer Nima Owji, an interface already exists for improved search.

Shared to Twitter today, a screenshot shows a new search interface that will presumably be coming to the official Twitter app on iPhone and iPad soon. Exactly how soon, we don't know. But we do know that it can't come soon enough.

Twitter is working on a better way to search DMs!#Twitter #Leaks pic.twitter.com/RqlolGIOLITwitter is working on a better way to search DMs!#Twitter #Leaks pic.twitter.com/RqlolGIOLI— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) July 5, 2021 July 5, 2021

The same developer also shared new screenshots of tweet reactions, something that was recently discovered by developer Jane Munchen Wong. This time, we got a better look at the options we'll have when reacting.

.@Twitter reactions feature is almost complete! Let's have a look at the final emojis!

Don't forget to follow me! Also like, and retweet this tweet! pic.twitter.com/ZLSzjlW4Ec.@Twitter reactions feature is almost complete! Let's have a look at the final emojis!

Don't forget to follow me! Also like, and retweet this tweet! pic.twitter.com/ZLSzjlW4Ec— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) July 4, 2021 July 4, 2021

Again, we don't know when tweet reactions will be made available to everyone but it is very likely to be something that is reserved for those who use the official Twitter app. That's a shame for those of us who use third-party solutions like Tweetbot, but at least we don't have to contend with Twitter changing our timelines all the time!

Looking for a new Twitter app? These are the best Twitter apps for iPhone right now.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.