Twitter has announced the launch of a new beta app called ‘twttr’ to the first group of testers today. The app will primarily be focused on testing new designs for conversations.
Throwback to the original name of the app, according to the company’s demonstration at CES, ‘twttr’ will test different format for replies, with more rounded chat-like shape and indented chats so they’re easier to follow. Engagements, sharing options and other tweet details are hidden from view in order to simplify reading through longer threads.
The most notable feature is the colour-coded replies on threads. Replies on the current version are ordered based on their relevancy and timing, but rather on their engagement numbers. The new design prototype allows users to better follow long Twitter threads and keep a track of the discussion.
The app is intended to also curb the presence of online abuse, due to the app’s frequent usage for online discussions, conflicts, etc. Another notable change in this design is the decision to remove engagement counts, like retweets and likes. These numbers can only be viewed when a tweet is clicked on, an action that users on the platform rarely carry out. The idea is to avoid the attack of other users through engagement counts.
Twitter has long been a frontrunner in the social networking market with it’s unique platform idea. However, competitors like Facebook and Instagram have brought massive updates over the years to their direct messaging service to improve user experience. The new prototype app in development, will allow Twitter to engage with it’s user base and develop a better, more functional version of the current platform and chat system and allow them to compete with the likes of Facebook and Instagram.
Twitter stated that it will continue to test new features in ‘twttr’ to gather more feedback and user responses before releasing any major changes globally.
