Twitter in 2021: Key Features Introduced, and Removed, This Year

Twitter launched a whole lot of new options in 2021 to reinforce person expertise, to let customers monetise, and in addition to maintain Twitter protected. Twitter mentioned in its shareholder letter that its monetisable day by day energetic customers grew 13 p.c year-over-year to 211 million in Q3 2021. While a whole lot of new options and updates had been added, there have been important options that had been eliminated too, together with Fleets and Periscope. 2021 additionally noticed the introduction of Twitter Spaces — the place customers can maintain stay audio conversations, identical to Clubhouse.

Here is an inventory of the important thing options which Twitter launched and eliminated in 2021:

January 2021

Birdwatch

Twitter launched Birdwatch to empower customers to collaboratively add useful notes to tweets which can be deceptive. People within the pilot are in a position to publicly provide useful context on tweets that they consider include deceptive info. Birdwatch is on a separate part of Twitter, and solely pilot individuals who apply to the programme, will be capable to write posts figuring out and rebutting misinformation. Their notes will initially not be seen on Twitter for customers outdoors of the pilot group however will likely be seen on the Birdwatch web site.

Birdwatch continues to be being examined on Twitter on iOS and Android and the Web within the US.

March 2021

Periscope

Twitter shut down Periscope which it had purchased in 2015, resulting from declining utilization over the previous couple of years and excessive supporting prices.

May 2021

Twitter Spaces

Twitter launched Spaces for stay audio conversations on the platform. Since then, the microblogging web site has added many options to Twitter Spaces to rival Clubhouse. Earlier this month, Twitter Spaces introduced that it’s getting a podcast-like characteristic which permits customers to hearken to a recording of the discussions on the platform.

Auto-Crop

Since Auto-Crop was eliminated, tweets which embody a single, normal side ratio picture now seem uncropped. Authors of tweets can see a preview of what the picture will appear to be within the tweet composer instrument earlier than it is posted.

Tips

Tips allowed customers to assist their favorite voices on Twitter by tipping them. Tips allowed individuals to obtain and present assist with cash. Payments might be made by way of third celebration providers like PayPal, Patreon, Razorpay, and extra. People can select so as to add Tips to their profile by way of their account settings. In September, Twitter additionally added the choice to Tip individuals utilizing Bitcoin.

New Verification Application

This 12 months Twitter started as soon as once more reviewing public purposes for the blue test mark. Eligibility standards grew to become extra clear. Twitter additionally began to roll out account labels to permit accounts to self-identify — starting with good bots (or automated accounts). Good bots assist individuals discover helpful, entertaining, and related info daily – from sharing artwork masterpieces, to notifying individuals of earthquakes, to even simply reminding you to get some recent air.

June 2021

Twitter Blue

Twitter Blue is a subscription service provided by the platform. Twitter Blue brings in a bunch of options equivalent to the flexibility to undo tweets and studying some information articles with out ads, amongst others.

Twitter Blue, which prices $2.99 (roughly Rs. 222) per 30 days within the US, additionally consists of the flexibility to learn some information articles with out ads, add longer movies, and customise the navigation bar within the Twitter app.

Feminine Arabic

Twitter launched a brand new language setting that acknowledges and higher helps the Arabic female kind. People who choose this setting will likely be addressed within the female kind, for instance, “Tweet” will likely be غرّدي (which addresses ladies) slightly than the default Arabic immediately, which is غرّد (addressing males). The characteristic is accessible on Twitter Web.

Ticketed Spaces

Twitter rolled out Ticketed Spaces which permit creators to generate income from the Spaces — stay audio rooms — they host by charging a ticket worth. Creators are given as much as 97 p.c of the income earned from tickets bought to their Ticketed Spaces until they attain a sure milestone.

July 2021

Updating Misinformation Labels

Twitter began testing a brand new label design with extra context that will help you higher perceive why a Tweet could also be deceptive.

August 2021

Fleets

Twitter shut down its Fleets on August 3, eight months after it was launched. The firm mentioned that it did not see a rise within the variety of new individuals becoming a member of the dialog with Fleets as they hoped.

AP, Reuters Partnership

Twitter introduced that it’ll companion with the Associated Press and Reuters to extra rapidly present credible info on the social networking web site as a part of an effort to struggle the unfold of misinformation.

Revue Subscription

Earlier this 12 months, Twitter acquired Revue, a service that makes it free and simple for anybody to begin and publish editorial newsletters, as a part of an effort to broaden its enterprise and provides writers who distribute their work on Twitter extra options. In August, Twitter launched a manner for publication creators so as to add a subscribe button immediately on their Twitter Profiles. As of now the Revue Subscription Button is barely out there for a check group on Android and Web.

September 2021

Safety Mode

Safety Mode is a characteristic which Twitter is testing with a small group of individuals together with feminine journalists and folks from marginalised communities to higher defend the person on the receiving finish of tweets by lowering the prevalence and visibility of dangerous remarks. Safety Mode briefly auto-block accounts that reply to your Tweets with probably dangerous language — equivalent to insults or hateful remarks — or those who ship repetitive and uninvited replies or mentions. Safety Mode is being examined on Twitter for iOS and Android with a choose set of customers with English-language settings enabled.

Edge-to-Edge Media

Twitter upgraded the standard of photographs and movies posted to Twitter and commenced testing edge-to-edge tweets so your photographs, GIFs, and movies can have extra room. The characteristic is presently being examined on Twitter for iOS and Android.

Choose who follows you

Without immediately blocking somebody, customers have the choice to go in, faucet by way of to their listing of followers and actively take away that particular person from following them. The characteristic is accessible on Twitter for the Web.

Communities

Twitter began testing Communities on the platform in September. When you be part of a Community, you may tweet on to that group as a substitute of to all of your followers. Only members in the identical Community are in a position to reply and be part of a dialog, and Communities are managed by moderators. Communities is accessible on Twitter for iOS and Web. Twitter is anticipating to launch the Android app performance earlier than the tip of the 12 months.

Super Follows

Super Follows offers creators the chance to earn month-to-month income by sharing tweets meant just for paying subscribers. With Super Follows, individuals can create an additional stage of dialog on Twitter and work together authentically with their most engaged followers — all whereas incomes cash — by way of a month-to-month subscription. Super Follows are solely out there on Twitter for iOS for a choose set of US creators, although anybody around the globe can Super Follow these creators.

December 2021

Automatic Captions

Twitter rolled out computerized captions this week. The auto-captions characteristic presently assist 37 languages. Since translation shouldn’t be stay on Twitter, the captions will present within the language of the system used to add the clip initially. Auto captions will seem on movies that are muted on each iOS and Android. Desktop customers, alternatively, can change them on and off. Hearing-challenged customers can now watch movies on Twitter with auto-captions on, widening entry to extra customers on the platform.