You see a hashtag you like on Whistlr. Maybe it's a game everyone's talking about, a city you love, or a hobby you picked up last month. Until now, following that thread meant typing it into search and hoping the results lined up with what you had in mind. The new Whistlr Related feed fixes that. Tap a trending hashtag or a topic tag on a post and you get one page for that topic. It holds every post using the hashtag, sorted by Top posts or Recent, along with the people posting about it and a shortcut to add your own post. The Related feed is live now in the Whistlr app on iPhone and iPad and on Whistlr for the web. It's built to load fast, even on a weak connection, and to respect the same privacy rules as the rest of Whistlr. This article explains what the Related feed is, how to open it, what you'll see there and how it's ordered, how it handles repeats and privacy, how it fits with Trending, Explore, and Search, and how to use it to stay on top of the content you enjoy.
Over the past few months we've written on PX News about the rebuilt Trending tab, the Discovery feed, the Search feed, and the redesign of your home feed. Each of those is about finding things you didn't know you wanted. The Related feed answers a different question: once something has caught your interest, where do you go to get more of it? We want to be clear about what's live and how it works. Everything below describes the feature as it ships today. Where something works differently on the app and the web, we say so.
What Is the Whistlr Related Feed?
The Whistlr Related feed is a topic page for a single hashtag. It collects every post that uses that hashtag into one scrolling feed. Think of it as the home for a conversation. Search gives you a list of results. The Related feed gives you the topic's own page, with a place to read, sort, meet the people involved, and join in.
Every Related feed page has the same simple layout. A search pill at the top shows the hashtag you're viewing, with a back button on the left and a + button on the right for hashtag options. Below that sit a "Post to" row, a Top posts or Recent sort menu, a Related profiles shortcut, and then every post carrying the hashtag as full feed cards.
The Related feed ignores capitalization. #Coffee, #coffee, and #COFFEE all open the same page, so a topic never gets split across a few spellings.
Why We Built the Related Feed
Hashtags have always been one of the ways people find each other on Whistlr. Our Discovery feed article called them the shared language of discovery, and the Search feed showed how often people search for topics and moods, not just names. But a hashtag was only as useful as the screen it led to. If tapping one dropped you into a list of search results mixed with accounts and other matches, the topic itself never really had a home.
We kept hearing a version of the same request: "I found something I like. Show me more of exactly that." Not a broader feed, not a guess about what you might also enjoy, just the topic. The Related feed is our answer. It turns every hashtag into a place you can visit, sort, come back to, and post into.
"Most of the time, people don't open an app looking for something brand new. They're looking for more of something they already enjoy. A hashtag is the clearest signal we get about what that is. The Related feed takes that signal at face value and gives you the whole conversation in one place, without making you hunt for it."
— AJ, Founder & CEO, ETAPX
How to Open the Related Feed on Whistlr
There's no separate tab for the Related feed. It opens from the places where topics already show up across Whistlr. Here's where to find it.
From Trends in Search and Explore
Open Search and you'll land on the Explore page, with category tabs like All, Hashtags, Waves, Communities, Sports, Entertainment, and Technology, and a "Trending now" list for each one. That list blends live streams, news, communities, and hashtags. Tap any hashtag trend and its Related feed opens. To make that feel instant, the app quietly gets the first few hashtag trends on the page ready in the background, and starts loading a topic the moment your finger touches it.
From Topic Chips Under the Search Bar
Just below the search bar, a row of topic chips mixes trending hashtags with popular keywords pulled from what's on Explore. Tap a hashtag chip and you go straight to that topic's Related feed. Tap a keyword chip and you get regular search results for it instead. The row only changes when you refresh, so the chips don't shuffle while you're reading them.
From a Topic Tag on a Post
When a post uses a hashtag that's trending on Whistlr, a small blue topic tag can appear beside the author's name, reading "›" followed by the hashtag. Tap it and you go straight to that topic's Related feed. It's the fastest route from "this post is interesting" to "show me everything like it."
From the Side Drawer on iPhone and iPad
The Whistlr app on iOS has a side drawer that slides out from the left. On iPhone it opens when you hold your phone upright; on iPad it works in any orientation. You can open it by swiping right on Minis from Home, flicking right on the All category in Search, swiping right on your Messages list, or swiping in from the left edge of the other tabs. Near the bottom, the drawer shows five trending hashtags, each used on more than a thousand posts. They rotate every time you open the drawer, so you see different topics each visit. Tap one to open its Related feed.
On Whistlr for the Web
On the web, the Related feed opens from the trend lists, from hashtags in the right-hand rail, and from hashtags inside posts and captions. It sits in the same column as your home feed, so it feels like part of the same page. In the iOS app, a hashtag inside a caption still opens search results for that tag, while the trending topic tag beside a name opens the Related feed.
What You'll See on a Related Feed Page
Once you're on a topic's page, everything is laid out so you can read, sort, and take part without leaving.
The Posts
Posts on the Related feed appear as full feed cards, the same cards you know from Home. Text, photos, and video all show the way they were posted, and you can like, comment, repost, and share right from the feed. Only the first video on screen plays at a time, just like on Home, so scrolling through a busy topic doesn't turn into a wall of sound.
Posts load twenty at a time. When you get near the bottom, the next set loads on its own, and it keeps going until you've reached the end of the topic. If a topic has no posts yet, you'll see a "No posts yet" message inviting you to be the first to post about it. And to be upfront: like the home feed, the Related feed includes an ad after every ten posts, with its space held so the posts around it don't jump.
The "Post to" Row
At the top of every Related feed page is a row with your profile picture and a "Post to" prompt. Tap it and the composer opens with the hashtag already in your post. It's the quickest way to add to a conversation you've been reading. You'll need a Whistlr account to post; people browsing without one are asked to join first.
Related Profiles
Tap "Related profiles" to see the people posting about this topic. It lists the authors of the posts on the page, each with their username, display name, and verification badge where they have one. Tap a name to open that person's profile. Your own account isn't listed, so the list is always about who else is in the conversation. If nobody else has posted about the topic yet, the list says so.
"A topic isn't just a pile of posts. It's the people who care about it. Related profiles is there because the best part of finding a topic you love is finding the people who love it too. A lot of friendships on Whistlr start exactly that way."
— AJ, Founder & CEO, ETAPX
Fast Loading, Even on a Weak Connection
We built the Related feed to open quickly. When you open a topic you've visited recently, the page shows what it already has right away and refreshes in the background if what's there is more than a couple of minutes old. Your app keeps a recent copy of the topics you've opened, so a bad connection or a cold start still opens with posts instead of a blank screen.
If you're offline and have never opened that topic before, you'll see a "You're offline" note explaining that posts will load when you're back online. As soon as your connection returns, the page reloads on its own. If something goes wrong while loading, a "Couldn't load posts" message lets you tap to try again. A loading spinner only appears if the first load is slow.
Top Posts vs. Recent: How the Related Feed Is Ordered
Every Related feed page has two ways to sort, and you choose between them from the menu above the posts. It's labeled "Top posts" by default.
- Top posts: The most-liked posts with the hashtag come first. When two posts have the same number of likes, the newer one comes first. This is the best view when you want the posts the community has already said are worth seeing.
- Recent: The newest posts with the hashtag come first. This is the view for following a topic as it happens, like a live event, a breaking story, or a game in progress.
That's the whole rule, and we like it that way. The Related feed doesn't try to guess what you'll like within a topic or shuffle posts around behind the scenes. You picked the topic. You pick the order. The page shows you what's there, in an order you can understand at a glance.
That's a deliberate contrast with Trending and the home feed, which have to make judgment calls because you haven't told them exactly what you want. On the Related feed, you have, so the feed keeps it simple.
Does the Related Feed Repeat Posts?
A fair question, because nobody likes a feed that keeps showing the same thing. On the Related feed, each post appears once. As you scroll and new posts load, any post already on the page is skipped instead of being added a second time, so you never see a duplicate partway down the feed.
The Related feed is also an honest index of a topic, not an endless loop. When you reach the end of a hashtag's posts, the feed stops. It doesn't fill the space by recycling older posts or padding the page with unrelated content. If you open the same topic again later, you'll see the same posts in the same order, plus anything new, because the order follows likes or time, not a shuffle.
Where Whistlr's No-Repeat Rules Live
Other parts of Whistlr work differently, because they're built for open-ended browsing rather than a single topic. Those surfaces have their own rules to keep things fresh:
- Photo posts in Minis: Once a photo post has been on your screen in Minis, it doesn't come back, even on another device or after reinstalling the app. That account's other photo posts also sit out for a while, so you don't see the same faces over and over.
- The Explore grid: When you come back to the app, the Explore grid leads with tiles you haven't seen yet, and you get a fresh grid on each visit.
How to Remember or Share a Hashtag
Tap the + button in the top right corner of any Related feed page and a sheet opens with two options.
Remember This Hashtag
"Remember this hashtag" keeps the topic with your remembered hashtags so you can come back to it later. Once a hashtag is remembered, the option shows as "Remembered," and tapping it again forgets the hashtag. Your remembered hashtags live in Hashtag favorites, which you can open from Account Center or from the shortcuts in the iOS side drawer. Remembering a hashtag needs a Whistlr account.
Share Hashtag
"Share hashtag" opens Whistlr's share sheet, so you can send the topic to friends in Messages, copy a link, or share it to other apps. On the web, a shared Related feed link shows a preview card with the hashtag, how many posts use it, and a line from its top post, so whoever you send it to knows what they're opening.
"When you find a topic you love, you shouldn't have to find it again from scratch tomorrow. Remembering a hashtag is our way of saying this is yours now. And when you share a topic, you're not sending one post. You're inviting someone into a whole conversation."
— AJ, Founder & CEO, ETAPX
Related Feed vs. Trending, Explore, and Search
Whistlr has several places to find content, and each one has a different job.
- Trending: What's catching on across Whistlr right now, increasingly shaped by what people actually watch through and come back to. Trending is the pulse of the whole platform.
- Explore and the Discovery feed: The place for wandering. Live streams, Minis, hashtags, communities, music, and news, built for a "show me something" mood.
- Search: The screen for intent. When you know what you're after, a person, a song, a community, or a phrase, you type it and go straight there.
- Home feed: Your people first, with timely moments from the wider world mixed in.
- Related feed: The home for one topic. Once a hashtag has caught your eye on any of those surfaces, the Related feed is where you go deeper.
The surfaces work together. You might spot a hashtag in the "Trending now" list in Search, open its Related feed, find people worth following in Related profiles, and see their posts in your home feed tomorrow.
Privacy and Control on the Related Feed
A page that gathers every post with a hashtag raises a fair question: who can see what? The Related feed follows the same privacy rules as the rest of Whistlr, applied to every post before it reaches the page.
- Browsing without an account: People who aren't signed in only see public posts from public accounts.
- Private accounts: Posts from a private account only appear for that person and the followers they've accepted.
- Followers-only posts: A post shared with followers only shows up for its author and their accepted followers.
- Private posts: A post set to private is only ever visible to the person who made it.
- Vault posts: Posts locked in a creator's Vault only show for the creator and people with access to that Vault.
- Deleted and archived posts: These never appear on the Related feed.
Using a hashtag never changes who can see your post. The Related feed only shows a post to someone who could already see it.
You also stay in control of individual posts. Every card on the Related feed has the same post menu you'll find elsewhere on Whistlr. For posts from other people, that includes Not interested, Mute, Block, and Report. Tapping Not interested tells us you'd like to see less like it. Mute, Block, and Report work just as they do everywhere else in the app.
What the Related Feed Means for Creators and Communities
For creators, the Related feed turns a good hashtag into a real doorway. Every post you tag lands on that topic's page, alongside everyone else talking about it. Someone who opens the page because they love the topic is exactly the person who's most likely to enjoy your post and follow you.
- Use specific hashtags: A focused tag puts your post on a page full of people who care about that exact topic. A vague one puts it in a crowd.
- Stay consistent: If you post about the same topics with the same tags, you'll keep showing up on the same Related feeds, and people will start to recognize you there.
- Earn your spot in Top posts: Top posts is ordered by likes, so posts the community genuinely enjoys rise to the top of the page.
- Show up in Recent: Even a brand-new post appears at the top of the Recent view, which gives smaller accounts a real chance to be seen while a topic is active.
- Get found through Related profiles: Posting about a topic puts you in that topic's Related profiles list, where people go looking for others who share their interests.
Communities can use the Related feed the same way. Our Discovery feed article recommended picking one signature hashtag for your SubCircuit or Haven. With the Related feed, that hashtag now has its own page where members' posts collect in one place. Share it with new members and it becomes a living front page for your community.
"We've always said discovery shouldn't only belong to the biggest accounts. The Recent view on the Related feed is about as fair as a feed gets. Post something good about a topic people care about, and you're right there at the top for everyone who opens it. That's a real shot, not a lottery ticket."
— AJ, Founder & CEO, ETAPX
How to Use the Related Feed to Follow a Topic
Here's a quick walkthrough for using the Related feed to keep up with something you enjoy.
- Find a topic. Open Search and browse the "Trending now" list, tap a hashtag chip under the search bar, tap the blue topic tag beside a name on a post, or open the side drawer on iOS and pick one of the trending hashtags.
- Open its Related feed. Tap the hashtag. The topic's page opens with the hashtag shown at the top.
- Choose your order. Tap "Top posts" to switch to Recent if you want the newest posts first, or stay on Top posts to see what the community likes most.
- Meet the people. Tap "Related profiles" to see who's posting about the topic, and open any profile you'd like to follow.
- Remember it. Tap the + button and choose "Remember this hashtag" so it's saved in your Hashtag favorites.
- Join in. Tap the "Post to" row at the top to open the composer with the hashtag already added, and share your own take.
- Share it. Tap the + button and choose "Share hashtag" to send the topic to a friend who'd enjoy it.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Related Feed
- Switch to Recent for live moments: During a game, an event, or a breaking story, Recent shows you posts as they come in.
- Use Top posts to catch up: If you've been away from a topic, Top posts shows you what the community enjoyed most.
- Remember topics you return to: Remembered hashtags in Hashtag favorites save you from searching for the same topic again.
- Follow from Related profiles: The people posting about a topic you love are often the best accounts to add to your home feed.
- Watch for the blue topic tag: It's the fastest way from one good post to a whole page of them.
- Post with the "Post to" row: It adds the hashtag for you, so your post lands in the right place.
- Use the post menu: Not interested, Mute, Block, and Report all work on the Related feed, just as they do everywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Related feed on Whistlr?
The Whistlr Related feed is a topic page for a single hashtag. It shows every post using that hashtag in one feed, sorted by Top posts or Recent, along with Related profiles of the people posting about it and a "Post to" row for adding your own post.
How do I open the Related feed on Whistlr?
You can open the Whistlr Related feed by tapping a hashtag in the "Trending now" list in Search, a hashtag chip under the search bar, or the blue topic tag beside an author's name on a post. In the iOS app you can also open it from the trending hashtags in the side drawer. On the web, hashtags in trend lists, the right-hand rail, and posts open the Related feed.
How is the Related feed sorted?
The Related feed has two sort options. Top posts shows the most-liked posts with the hashtag first, with newer posts first when likes are tied. Recent shows the newest posts with the hashtag first.
Does the Related feed show the same post twice?
No. Each post appears once on a Related feed page, and posts already on the page are skipped as more load. When you reach the end of a topic's posts, the Related feed stops instead of recycling old posts.
Can people see my private posts on the Related feed?
No. The Related feed follows Whistlr's privacy rules. Posts from private accounts only appear for the author and their accepted followers, followers-only posts only appear for followers, private posts are only visible to the author, and people browsing without an account only see public posts from public accounts.
How do I save a hashtag on Whistlr?
Open the hashtag's Related feed, tap the + button in the top right corner, and choose "Remember this hashtag." Your remembered hashtags are kept in Hashtag favorites, which you can open from Account Center or the iOS side drawer. Tap the option again on the Related feed to forget the hashtag.
Do I need an account to use the Related feed?
You can browse public posts on the Related feed without an account. To post to a topic, remember a hashtag, or interact with posts, you'll be asked to join Whistlr first.
Is the Related feed different from Search results?
Yes. Search results match what you type across people, posts, songs, communities, and more. The Related feed is a dedicated page for one hashtag, with every post carrying that tag, a choice of Top posts or Recent, Related profiles, and options to remember, share, and post to the topic.
Is the Related feed available on Android?
Right now, the Related feed is available in the Whistlr app on iPhone and iPad and on Whistlr for the web. The trending hashtags in the side drawer are an iOS feature, while the web opens the Related feed from trend lists, the right-hand rail, and hashtags in posts.
The Whistlr Related feed gives every hashtag a home, so the things you enjoy are always one tap away, in an order you choose and with the people who care about them too. Open Whistlr, tap a trending hashtag, and see where the Related feed takes you.
