New Twitter features: Long-form tweets, bookmark button, and more
The world's most popular microblogging platform, Twitter, is all set to receive an overhaul. Owner and CEO Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will get features such as an easy swipe option between recommended/followed tweets, long-form tweets, and a bookmark button on tweet details. The first of these facilities should be available to the users later this week.
Why does this story matter?
Ever since Twitter's acquisition by Musk, the platform is undergoing sweeping changes to make it more transparent and endearing to users. For a long time, Twitterati has been clamoring for features such as the ability to compose long-form tweets and getting to view texts of their choice. The new announcement by Musk is both timely as well as welcome.
When will the new features be available?
Twitter will permit users to swipe right/left to shift between recommended and followed tweets. This feature will be available sometime this week. The silent-like bookmark button on tweet details is expected to be rolled out a week later. Finally, the much-anticipated long-form sharing of texts instead of screenshots will be allowed from early February. Musk first spoke about it in November 2022.
What other facilities are on the way?
Musk-owned Twitter is working on a new facility that will permit tweet composers to automatically split a long text into a thread. Users will not have to use the (+) button anymore. The platform will also usher in direct messages with end-to-end encryption. Android users should get it first. The feature was first tested in 2018 but was shelved soon after.
Twitter Blue users can upload lengthy videos
To make Twitter more creator-friendly, the company is also allowing Twitter Blue subscribers to upload 60-min long videos with a 2GB file size limit. However, lengthy clips can only be uploaded via the web.
