Twitter to get automatic conversion of long tweets, encrypted DMs
What's the story
Elon Musk's Twitter isn't just about different colored check marks. The platform is also working on some exciting new features.
It seems that the company is working on a new feature that will let the composer split a long text into a thread automatically.
The microblogging platform is also working on reviving direct messages with end-to-end encryption.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The ability to compose long tweets without losing the sentence flow has been a demand of Twitterati for a long time. It is still possible to do it, but pressing the (+) button every time can get really annoying.
Also, Musk's decision to add end-to-end encryption could be the first step in taking Twitter DMs to the next level.
Long texts
The tweet composer will automatically break text into a thread
App researcher Jane Manchun Wong tweeted that the platform is working on a feature that will let the tweet composer automatically break the text into a thread if it crosses the 280-character limit.
She added that Twitter is trying to reduce the friction in composing long texts. Users won't need to use the (+) button to add more to a thread.
Twitter Post
No more (+) button to add tweets to a thread
I guess the point is to reduce the friction so the user no longer need to tap that (+) button at every 280 characters
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) November 17, 2022
Availability
Musk announced that the feature is coming soon
Users have been complaining about Twitter's long text problem for a while. In the last few hours, a few users pointed out how hard it is to post and read threads with more than one tweet.
Musk replied to one of them (an 82-tweet-thread about FTX) and said that the "ability to do long tweets (is) coming soon."
Current
Users currently use third-party solutions
Earlier this month, Musk talked about a feature that will let users attach long-form texts to tweets. It is unclear whether it will be related to the new thread composer or will be a separate feature.
Currently, users rely on third-party solutions such as Typefully, ThreadStart, and Chirr App to split a long post into threads.
E2EE
Twitter is working on DMs with end-to-end encryption on Android
Twitter first tested direct messages with end-to-end encryption in 2018. However, the company shelved it soon.
Now, it seems that DM with end-to-end encryption is coming back. Wong spotted some signs of the feature being worked on in Twitter Android.
Under her tweet about the same, Musk replied with a winking emoji, confirming that she was right about the encryption.