After an iOS update that now separates the user timeline into two sections -algorithmic and chronological, Twitter is releasing the update on its web interface.
Quick Facts
- Twitter recently redesigned “Home” and “Latest” into “For You” (algorithmic) and “Following” (chronological timeline) which is now available on both iOS and the web
- Users have to click on the timeline tabs to switch between them on the web unlike swiping on the phone
- In the web version, Twitter remembers users’ choices so if you reopen Twitter, the platform will reveal the timeline selected earlier
- Twitter announced that the dual-timeline view will release on Android soon
As a part of the update launched for iOS users first, the platform removed the star button at the top right that allowed users to switch between two views. Instead of that, the Home screen has two tabs and the “For You” tab appears first when you open Twitter.
“For You” shares its title with TikTok’s algorithmically-driven feed and is a revamped version of “Home,” which shows tweets from people you follow in no precise order mixed with recommended tweets. “Latest Tweets” has been renamed to “Following.”
The news was announced by Twitter Support on the platform alerting users of the new feature being added to the web version and an upcoming upgrade to Android as well!
Although the change is meant to improve the user interface, it does not retain the “Following” page even if you set your app accordingly which means the algorithmic feed is the default. So what is the upside of this feature?
What is the benefit of Twitter’s dual-timeline view?
The only advantage of the web dual-timeline view on Twitter is that the revamped interface enables a user to make easy switches between one pinned list to another. This is only applicable to people using Twitter lists.
Previously, the only way to view lists on the web was by going to More and then selecting Lists, a process slightly more complicated than the current flow. The site previously announced a similar feature to be added but users didn’t respond well. It was going to allow users to swipe between “Home” and “Latest Tweets” to switch timelines.
After facing a series of complaints from users who felt as if “Home” was being forced on them, it discarded the idea. However, Twitter is rolling out the same feature now, but with different names.
It could once again elicit criticism from users, considering the outrage observed in the comments following Twitter Support’s announcement. Choosing the chronological view was a permanent choice before the update kicked in.
Now, when you close the app and reopen it, the “For You” feed pops up. The development comes as a sad occurrence to many people who prefer the reverse-chronological feed.
Previous attempts to discard the timeline or make it harder to access have sparked unrest among users. Although the update makes the user interface smoother, it also places more importance on the “For You” view, a move disapproved by many users.
The decision was prompted by Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s vision to enable an easier switch between both views. On December 20, 2022, he tweeted that the “Main timeline should allow for an easy sideways swipe between top, latest, trending, and topics that you follow.”
In addition, he revealed that the company would be “making this change soon.” As of now, there is no option to switch to trending and followed topics, although the trending page is accessible with a few taps on the Search menu.
On Friday, third-party Twitter clients reported issues within the app. Many users couldn’t view content or log into their accounts. The developers shared that they tried to contact Twitter but couldn’t get through.
