Twitter tests new Circle feature to share tweets with up to 150 people
‘Some tweets are for everyone and others are just for people you’ve picked,’ firm says
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Twitter is testing a new feature that allows users to share tweets with a smaller circle of followers, bringing similar functionality to other social media apps like Instagram.
Twitter Circle strikes a balance between having a public and a private account on the platform, making it possible to share with up to 150 people.
“Some tweets are for everyone and others are just for people you’ve picked,” Twitter announced.
“We’re now testing Twitter Circle, which lets you add up to 150 people who can see your tweets when you want to share with a smaller crowd.”
This makes it similar to Instagram’s Close Friends feature, which allows the sharing of posts to a smaller group of their followers.
Some Twitter users will have immediate access to Twitter Circle, though it is not clear if or when a broader roll out will take place. The Independent has reached out to Twitter for comment.
It is one of several new features under development at Twitter, with a long-rumoured edit button among the potential upcoming releases.
A screenshot of the unreleased feature was shared by researcher Jane Manchun Wong this week, who uncovered the edit button within the app’s underlying code.
A poll carried out last month by Elon Musk, whose $44 billion bid to take Twitter private is expected to be completed in October, found that the majority of more than 4 million users who responded want the ability to edit their tweets after posting them.
Twitter CEO Parag Agarwal said at the time that “the consequences of this poll will be important”, advising users to “vote carefully”.
Twitter has since claimed that the edit button feature has been in development since 2021 and was not inspired “from a poll”.
Mr Musk is currently in talks with “high-wealth individuals” and large investment firms to secure the financing to complete the Twitter takeover.
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