Twitter has undergone a turbulent year as Elon Musk pursued and then took over the social-media platform
(Picture: Yui Mok / PA)Twitter has gone through a flurry of changes since Elon Musk took over in October, but its latest update could prove to be its most divisive.
As part of a redesign to its iOS app, the social network now shows a “For You” timeline by default, including suggested tweets from accounts you don’t follow.
You’ll be able to swipe to a “latest” feed with chronological tweets from people you follow, but Twitter will revert to the algorithmic timeline every time you close and reopen the app.
The “For you” and “Following” tabs replace “Home” and “Latest” and will be pinned to the top of your timeline so you can easily switch between them. Swipe to switch timelines instead of tapping the ✨ icon.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 11, 2023
Twitter’s algorithm shows suggested tweets based on a variety of “signals”, including the profiles you frequently interact with, topics you follow, how popular a tweet is in your network, and replies that are fuelling conversations in “a meaningful way”.
For now, the change is limited to iOS, meaning it will affect those who use Twitter on iPhone and iPad. As part of the update, Twitter has ditched the star icon from the top of its app that allowed you to set your timeline to show recommended or latest tweets.
The icon is still available on Twitter for Android and the web. Twitter has not said whether the update will be rolled out to those platforms next.
Inevitably, the update has been met with criticism from some users who have unfavorably compared it to TikTok. The popular short video app shows each user a “For You” feed of clips it thinks they will like that are chosen by its algorithm.
Why? Who asked for this?
— Kieran (@Genie_93) January 11, 2023
I thought this was Twitter not TikTok
If you find out how to turn off the for you tab, please let me know -- it is so annoying 🙄
— Gordus (@medicgordus) January 11, 2023
All we want is chronological tweets from people we follow. This isn’t hard.
— Karen (@KBoopaloo) January 11, 2023
All I can think of is TikTok👀
— Jonah Manzano (@jonah_manzano) January 11, 2023
TikTok’s ability to quickly surface content catered to users’ tastes has been credited with its immense growth over the past few years. Even newcomers who haven’t engaged with the app can immediately view a populated stream of content that they can swipe through.
Chances are, Twitter is chasing that same level of engagement, but it also risks alienating existing users with its quick-fire updates. The most notable of these is its oft-delayed Twitter Blue subscription that charges users for verification, along with a number of perks, including early access to experimental new features and the ability to upload full HD videos.
