You want Perplexity to search social media platforms X and Mastodon for real-time opinions, breaking news, or community discussions. Without changing any settings, Perplexity returns a mix of web results, news articles, and academic sources. This article shows you how to enable Social Focus Mode to limit results to X and Mastodon posts only.
Social Focus Mode is a search filter that restricts results to posts from X and Mastodon. It works on the web app and mobile apps. You do not need a Pro subscription to use it.
By the end of this guide, you will know how to activate Social Focus Mode, understand its limitations, and avoid common mistakes like expecting non-social results.
Key Takeaways: Using Social Focus Mode for X and Mastodon
- Focus Mode dropdown in the search bar: Click it and select Social to filter results to X and Mastodon posts
- Search query after selecting Social: Write your question or topic normally; results will show only from X and Mastodon
- No Pro subscription required: Social Focus Mode is available to all users on free and paid plans
What Social Focus Mode Does and Why Use It
Social Focus Mode is one of six search filters in Perplexity. The others are All, Web, Academic, Math, and Video. When you select Social, Perplexity sends your query to X and Mastodon APIs and returns only posts from those platforms.
You would use Social Focus Mode when you want real-time opinions, trending discussions, or firsthand accounts. For example, you might search for reactions to a product launch, public sentiment about a political event, or niche community discussions on Mastodon. Standard web results would include blog posts and news articles, which may be slower to publish.
Prerequisites: You need a Perplexity account free or Pro. You need a working internet connection. No external social media accounts are required. Perplexity accesses the public APIs of X and Mastodon directly.
Steps to Enable Social Focus Mode on Desktop and Mobile
The process is identical on the Perplexity web app and the Android and iOS mobile apps. The Focus Mode selector appears in the search bar area.
- Open Perplexity and locate the search bar
Go to perplexity.ai or open the Perplexity app. You see a large text input field at the top of the screen. Below the input field, you see a row of buttons or a dropdown menu labeled with the current focus mode. By default, this shows All. - Click or tap the Focus Mode dropdown
On desktop, click the All button or the dropdown arrow next to it. On mobile, tap the Focus Mode label or the current mode name. A list of options appears: All, Web, Academic, Math, Video, and Social. - Select Social from the list
Tap or click Social. The dropdown closes, and the search bar now shows Social as the active focus mode. You do not need to confirm or save the selection. - Type your search query and press Enter
Write your question or topic in the search bar. Press Enter or tap the search icon. Perplexity now retrieves posts only from X and Mastodon. The results page displays individual posts with the platform name X or Mastodon visible next to each result.
To switch back to the default mode, repeat steps 1 through 3 and select All. You can change the focus mode at any time during a session.
Common Mistakes, Limitations, and Things to Avoid
Social Mode Does Not Search Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok
Social Focus Mode only includes X and Mastodon. If you search for Instagram or Facebook content, you will get zero results or posts from X that mention those platforms. Use the All mode for broader social media coverage, but note that All mode does not guarantee results from any specific platform.
Results Are Limited to Public Posts
Perplexity accesses only public posts through the X and Mastodon APIs. Private accounts, direct messages, and posts from locked profiles are never included. If your search topic is discussed mainly in private groups, Social Focus Mode will return few or no results.
No Date Filter Within Social Mode
Social Focus Mode does not have a built-in date range filter. You can add date keywords to your query, such as “past week” or “March 2025,” but Perplexity may still return older posts. For precise date filtering, use the All mode and apply the date filter in the search tools.
Mastodon Results Depend on Instance Accessibility
Mastodon is a federated network. Perplexity can only search instances that are publicly accessible and not blocked by rate limits. If a specific Mastodon instance is down or restricted, posts from that instance will not appear in results.
Perplexity Focus Modes: Social vs Other Filters
| Feature | Social Focus | All Focus (Default) |
|---|---|---|
| Sources searched | X and Mastodon only | Web pages, news, academic papers, videos, social media |
| Best for | Real-time opinions, trending discussions, community reactions | General research, news, comprehensive answers |
| Date filter available | No | Yes, in search tools |
| Pro subscription required | No | No |
| Number of results per query | Varies by API limits | Varies by query |
Social Focus Mode is a narrow but powerful tool for tapping into public conversations on X and Mastodon. Use it when your question requires current, opinion-based, or community-sourced answers.
After you finish searching with Social Focus Mode, try combining it with Perplexity Collections to save and organize your social search results by topic. You can also use the Share button on any result to post a link to the conversation on X or Mastodon directly.