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Twitter and Google have struck a deal that will allow the microblogging network's 140-character tweets to appear in search results. The deal is believed to help Twitter reach more non-users, and at the same time, allow searchers to gain more real-time information.

Bloomberg reports that tweets will begin appearing in Google within the first half of this year, and tweets will start to be visible in Google’s search results as soon as they’re posted, thanks to a deal giving the Web company access to Twitter’s firehose.

Twitter is working to cater to new users and make it easier for them to get started with the service with an instant timeline feature. Instead of requiring new users to go out and follow Twitter users on their own, the instant timeline feature brings in content without going through the traditional setup process.

After Twitter scans your contacts in the signup phase, it will automatically present new Twitter users tweets based on who their contacts are and who they follow on Twitter. Essentially, Twitter is guessing which accounts and topics might interest you.

Twitter has rolled out a big update to its iOS app, adding group direct messaging and the ability to shoot video directly within the app.

The new direct messaging tool changes up the feature that's been around since 2008. It's a move to make messaging a larger part of the platform. The group function lets you start conversations with any of your followers, and they don’t all need to follow one another in order to chat. You can create a group by simply tapping a few names.