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Twitter DM search feature expands from iOS to Android after almost two years

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: May 13, 2021, 4:20 PM

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Twitter DM search feature expands from iOS to Android after almost two years

Given Twitter's massive global popularity (yes, even after Donald Trump's permanent suspension), you might expect the social networking service to at least support the same basic features as the competition if not offer something extra.

But as if still not allowing users to edit their tweets after they're published was not bad enough, Twitter also lacked a DM search functionality on Android until today. While that may not sound like such a big deal, it's easy to understand if some of you were frustrated at having to wait nearly two years (!!!) for the iOS and web-exclusive feature to spread its wings.

That's happening at long last, according to a hot new Twitter Support announcement, and perhaps more importantly, the DM search option is set to expand to actual message content at some point "later this year."

That means you can only search your direct messages using the name of a person you remember having a private conversation with at the moment rather than the topic or certain words from said conversations.

We’ve brought the DM search bar to Android and are rolling out an improved version that lets you search for all of your old convos, not just the most recent ones.

Waiting for the option to search your DMs for message content? We’re working on releasing that later this year! https://t.co/wAQxSokJt6
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 13, 2021

In other words, the feature is still nowhere near as convenient as its Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp counterpart (on either Android or iOS), but at least we know Twitter is working on making it better... a whopping 21 months after initially rolling it out to select mobile and desktop users.

Naturally, it might take a little while for Android users around the world to see the DM search bar enabled on their handsets, but once that happens, we expect everything to be as simple and as hassle-free as the iPhone process demonstrated above.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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