How to See What’s Trending on Twitter In 3 Steps

Twitter sets itself apart from other social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram, by putting a particular emphasis on trending topics. From politics to entertainment to influencers to advertisements and beyond, Twitter’s trending topics are the home for whatever the internet is currently talking about at any given moment.

But here’s the problem: not everyone knows how to see what’s trending on Twitter. If this describes you, fear not. Knowing how to see what’s trending on Twitter is a lot easier than you’d think. We’ll show you how to check it in just three simple steps, complete with photos to follow along.

Why See What’s Trending on Twitter?

Before getting into the how, let’s first touch on the why. Why would you need to see what’s trending on Twitter in the first place? As it turns out, there are a few good reasons why.

From tracking the latest breaking news to following along with the current topics of the day to seeing what other people are saying about the biggest cultural events of the moment, these are the primary reasons why a person would want to see what’s trending on Twitter.

Breaking News

Perhaps no other reason to check Twitter’s trending topics is as important as breaking news. Oftentimes, Twitter’s trending topics break the news before any major outlet can even get to the story themselves.

While this can lead to some misinformation as conflicting reports begin to aggregate around the story, Twitter’s trending topics nevertheless prove to be the place to find out the breaking news before anyone else. You’ll probably have to read up on the full story later, but the trending topics will make you aware of it first.

Current Topics

Twitter’s trending topics are just as useful for tracking people’s opinions on whatever the topic or story of the day might be. Perhaps your favorite band just announced a tour and you’d like to see what people are saying about it.

Or, maybe, you’d like to see some reactions to the newly released trailer for your most anticipated movie of the year. No matter what the day’s biggest topic may be, Twitter and its trending topics page will be sure to compile anything and everything users are posting about it in the moment.

Keeping Up With Culture

Lastly, another reason to see what’s trending on Twitter is to keep up with the cultural phenomenon of the moment. Take a big sporting event, for instance. Twitter’s trending topics provide a place for tweets to come pouring in as the cultural event is happening in real-time.

Awards shows, sports matches, competition shows, you name it. If it’s something millions are watching at once, looking at Twitter’s trending topics can be a fun place to be.

How to See What’s Trending on Twitter

Now that you understand why you might want to see what’s trending on Twitter, let’s break down the steps below. Let it be known that these three steps are best optimized for the web. For mobile Twitter users, keep reading. We’ll outline the process on mobile in the next section.

Step 1: Log In

First things first: you need to log into Twitter if you haven’t already. While you can still explore trending topics without logging in, you won’t be able to interact with any posts while logged out. Interacting is part of the whole appeal here, so it’s well worth logging in before exploring.

Alas, if you’d rather explore trending topics anonymously, you may skip this step. It’s not a requirement, but merely a way to improve your experience. What’s more, you will see fewer personalized trending topics without being logged in.

Step 2: Click Explore

Once you’ve logged in (or skipped this step), you will then click the Explore tab. If you’re logged in, you’ll see this tab on the left-hand side of the screen underneath the Home tab and above the Notifications tab.

If you’re not logged in, Twitter will default you to the Explore tab. You will have no option to view your Home feed or your Notifications tab without logging in first. You will also notice no other settings or features while being logged out, such as liking or retweeting posts.

Step 3: Browse Trending Topics

Now on the Explore tab, you’re free to do exactly that: explore. From the For You tab to the Trending, News, Sports, and Entertainment tabs, you can click and choose what sorts of trending topics you want to explore.

While logged out, you will be limited to whatever you see on the screen. There won’t be any personalized For You trending topics. That’s because these trending topics are personalized based on your account activity.

Check out the video below to see exactly how this process works.

Bonus: How to See What’s Trending on the Twitter App

If you’re a mobile Twitter user, the process to see what’s trending on the site isn’t much different from these web-optimized steps above. Follow along with the steps and photos below. Before long, you’ll be exploring trending topics like a pro. (And all from the convenience of your smartphone.)

Step 1: Log In

While Twitter for the web might let you get around this step, there’s no avoiding it on mobile. To get into the Twitter app, you have to log into your account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for one using your Google or Apple account (or using your email or phone number below.)

Step 2: Tap the Search Tab

Now that you’ve logged in, you will be greeted by your Twitter home page. This is split into For You and Following, just like it is on the web. However, instead of clicking the Explore tab, we’re going to tap the Search tab instead. (This is the eyeglass icon at the bottom, next to the Home icon.)

Step 3: Explore Trending Topics

With this move, you will now find yourself greeted by Twitter’s trending topics. Below the search bar at the top of the page, you’ll see the same headings we saw on the web. For You, Trending, News, Sports, and so on. Proceed to explore what’s trending on Twitter however you see fit.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Koshiro K/Shutterstock.com.