After eight months, Twitter says goodbye to its Fleets feature on August 3
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Twitter has announced it will will be axing its “Fleets” feature from the app, just eight months after first launching it.
Fleets were launched back in November 2020 as a rival to Instagram Stories and Snapchat where users can post something on their profile that disappears after 24 hours.
In a blog post on their website, Twitter’s head of product, brand & video ads Ilya Brown described Fleets as a “a lower-pressure, ephemeral way for people to share their fleeting thoughts.”
But he added that Twitter was getting rid of the feature because they “haven’t seen an increase in the number of new people joining the conversation with Fleets like we hoped.”
The company tweeted the announcement on their official account yesterday:
we're removing Fleets on August 3, working on some new stuff
— Twitter (@Twitter) July 14, 2021
we're sorry or you're welcome
The sassy announcement hinted at the mixed reactions about the feature when it was first launched - with some remarking on how little it was used.
The 5 people who used fleets must be really disappointed
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) July 14, 2021
we got you pic.twitter.com/6KQdCm0enf
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) July 14, 2021
Sorry guys it was me.
— Momo (@momodraws) July 15, 2021
I never looked at your fleets
I never used fleets anyways. https://t.co/Z5NLQNv39Z
— Effiong from Jane 🇨🇦 (@Friedricejim) July 15, 2021
Though some admired the social media company for admitting that the tool failed.
twitter being self aware enough to apologize for creating fleets is the kind of energy we need to see all over social media
— 💫Rachel💫 (@keyofB_Platt) July 15, 2021
I admire the ability to just quit on a product like this, lol https://t.co/4PI5wOl6r9
— Kathryn LeBlanc (@Kat_LeBlanc) July 15, 2021
While others pointed out the irony of how “fleeting” Fleets really were.
Don't say it
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) July 14, 2021
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
Don't say it
That was fleeting
it was fun for a fleeting moment
— Oliver Age 24 🍕 (@OliverAge24) July 15, 2021
Fleets really said pic.twitter.com/WiNqhyAFGS
— AJ 🎮 🇨🇺 RE: Revelations (@AJLucis) July 15, 2021
Naming them “Fleets” sort of set them up for transience from the get go 😬 https://t.co/RvNzNP937y
— Gila Pfeffer (@Gilapfeffer) July 15, 2021
So Fleets themselves have attained the functionality of Fleets by disappearing? This is some meta level stuff https://t.co/mrodPA2E6d
— sean (@seakeonprime) July 15, 2021
Some said they were glad to see the back of the feature as they didn’t use it themselves.
everyone finding out they’re getting rid of fleets pic.twitter.com/WHRe6iOtSo
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) July 14, 2021
Finding out Twitter is removing #Fleets on August 3rd... pic.twitter.com/SG076MrM91
— Elliot Leaver (@elliotleaver92) July 15, 2021
how I sleep knowing I never looked at anyone’s fleets pic.twitter.com/LtdKZdAhj1
— miku ♡ (@soft_babeyyy) July 15, 2021
going to miss fleets pic.twitter.com/76SlA92cpB
— Aaron Gilmore (@aarondgilmore) July 15, 2021
Am I sad fleets are going?…#Fleets pic.twitter.com/FMNdtU2nel
— Martin Bowie 🏳️🌈 (@Mar10Bowie) July 15, 2021
Critics of the tool put its failure down to it being too similar to competitors Instagram Stories and Snapchat.
💡This isn't snark, but Fleets was a terrible idea. Please stop trying to borrow the best features of other platforms and incorporate them into Twitter. Instead, focus on revamping the reporting system and remove the toxic accounts that dissuade people from using the platform... https://t.co/Z3z3iXW4V5
— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) July 15, 2021
Never saw great #fleet adoption or strong creative come through like on @instagram stories.
— Susie Gidseg ✨ (@thesusieg) July 14, 2021
Sometimes it’s better to let one idea go and try for a better one. https://t.co/0UcpEFrToz
Thank goodness. Go to all the other social media platforms for this 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/BqWdogdn5x
— Gissur Simonarson 🇮🇸🏴 (@GissiSim) July 15, 2021
Elsewhere, a few people admitted that they still don’t know what Fleets are (suppose they don’t need to know about it now...)
Twitter removing fleets from August 3.
— LiaisonIT (@liaisonitinc) July 15, 2021
Meanwhile, people who have no idea what that is, to begin with.
#Fleets #Tweet pic.twitter.com/OR26jAx3n4
Fleets is leaving and I don’t even know what it is??? pic.twitter.com/DXQrHxsLnY
— Monica Strom (@MStrom17) July 15, 2021
Twitter removing the #Fleets feature.
— Riddhi Speaks (@Riddhi_Speaks) July 15, 2021
Meanwhile me who had no idea it even existed : pic.twitter.com/Jgcxp6T1WI
Me learning that fleets are going away, then having to look up what fleets are on google... pic.twitter.com/IgukABiurm
— Dangeress (@IdahoDreaming) July 15, 2021
Me looking for the #twitter #fleets feature that is apparently being taken away from me pic.twitter.com/pQrVCgOX6x
— Syed Ahmed 👨🏽💻🕹🚀 (@syedahmedz) July 15, 2021
Twitter users have until August 3rd to make the most of Fleets. After this date people will instead see Twitter’s live audio chat rooms, Spaces, at the top of their timelines.
“We’ll continue to build new ways to participate in conversations, listening to feedback and changing direction when there may be a better way to serve people using Twitter,” Brown added at the end of the blog post.
