Twitter updates feed options: you will no longer see chronological feed first
Twitter is now launching a redesign to its feed, reports 9to5Mac, and you won't be going to the chronological timeline by default on the app anymore. Instead, you will be getting two tabs: Home and Latest Tweets.
When Twitter first switched from a chronological feed to a new type of feed with suggested tweets, it received heavy criticism from its users. Then, the social media platform created an option so that you can always see the most recent tweets by default. Now, Twitter is going to move out of this solution and you won't be seeing the chronological timeline by default anymore.
Currently, the new update is being rolled out to iOS users, and will soon be available on Android and the web as well. The company announced the news on the TwitterSupport page. With this new update, you will have two tabs at the top of the app, which will let you switch between Home (which will have the suggested tweets), and Latest Tweets.
Technically, you can still view tweets in chronological order, but it isn't the default option, as the tweets in the Home tab will always appear first. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed this change but hinted that it could be changing again in the future.
We will see if Twitter will listen to the user feedback and roll back the change.
Well, it seems that users really enjoy chronological feeds, instead of a feed with AI-powered suggestions that they may like. Instagram recently announced new feed options to its feed too, which bring back the chronological feed that the social media platform removed back in 2016. Instagram will keep the suggested posts in a separate feed tab.
The feed change is not the only feature that Twitter has recently been working on. And luckily, the other new features don't make the app more confusing to use, rather, it's the complete opposite. Recently we reported on the fact that Twitter is now testing alt text badges to images shared on the platform for better accessibility.
It will be a slow rollout, and about a month will be spent by the company to roll out the accessibility feature to everyone, while the global rollout is expected to happen at the start of the month of April.
The alt text feature allows people with low vision or cognitive disability to better engage with and contribute to the social media platform and its content. These descriptions can be useful if you have a slower internet speed too.
Right now, a small number of users have access to the new feature, and the list will grow in the coming weeks. Once you have it, you will be able to add alt text to an image by tapping on the "Add description" button that should appear after you upload a photo. Then, you will see an "alt" badge appear at the bottom left-hand corner of the image, where you can tap to read the description.
An exciting and quite useful feature for Twitter threads is in the works as well. The social media platform is working on the possibility for you to leave a conversation that you no longer want to participate in with a simple tap. The button to Leave a Conversation will untag your name, stop future mentions on the thread from happening, and you won't be getting any notifications about the conversation anymore. This one is currently in testing, so it has not been rolled out yet.
Twitter feed gets a redesign with two tabs: Home and Latest Tweets
When Twitter first switched from a chronological feed to a new type of feed with suggested tweets, it received heavy criticism from its users. Then, the social media platform created an option so that you can always see the most recent tweets by default. Now, Twitter is going to move out of this solution and you won't be seeing the chronological timeline by default anymore.
Technically, you can still view tweets in chronological order, but it isn't the default option, as the tweets in the Home tab will always appear first. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed this change but hinted that it could be changing again in the future.
On the user side, many users didn't like this update, and they urged Twitter to bring the Latest Tweets option by default again. For many people, the new change is making the social media platform confusing to use.
The Home and Latest timelines are now just a swipe away for everyone on iOS, and soon on Android and web.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 10, 2022
Tap the icon to pin (or unpin) the Latest timeline to your Home tab for easy access. https://t.co/cj7ofY3CZqpic.twitter.com/XR0ALOQ5Y6
We will see if Twitter will listen to the user feedback and roll back the change.
Well, it seems that users really enjoy chronological feeds, instead of a feed with AI-powered suggestions that they may like. Instagram recently announced new feed options to its feed too, which bring back the chronological feed that the social media platform removed back in 2016. Instagram will keep the suggested posts in a separate feed tab.
Other recent changes that Twitter is working on
The feed change is not the only feature that Twitter has recently been working on. And luckily, the other new features don't make the app more confusing to use, rather, it's the complete opposite. Recently we reported on the fact that Twitter is now testing alt text badges to images shared on the platform for better accessibility.
It will be a slow rollout, and about a month will be spent by the company to roll out the accessibility feature to everyone, while the global rollout is expected to happen at the start of the month of April.
Right now, a small number of users have access to the new feature, and the list will grow in the coming weeks. Once you have it, you will be able to add alt text to an image by tapping on the "Add description" button that should appear after you upload a photo. Then, you will see an "alt" badge appear at the bottom left-hand corner of the image, where you can tap to read the description.
Things that are NOT allowed: