Twitter has been looking for new ways to boost user engagement and it seems a new feature – a ‘While you were away’ recap of tweets you may have mised – is rolling out to many users worldwide.
Also Read: The 4 C’s Of Great Twitter Marketing
‘While you were away’ works in a very similar manner to the Facebook Newsfeed by showing you the “best tweets” from your network since you last opened Twitter.
This is the first major non-chronological feature to be added on Twitter.
The feature was spotted by Eli Langer, Social Media Manager for CNBC:
OMG, it appears Twitter is testing a Facebook-like algorithm for the Home stream called “While you were away…” pic.twitter.com/CpQQMLp0VO
— Eli (@EliLanger) December 31, 2014
Twitter did not explain much more about the new feature but simply stated:
[quote]Every time you open the Twitter app, you’ll see something great.[/quote]
Of course reactions have been diverse with some users welcoming the new feature and others not seeing why they should be reading older tweets.
Love the ‘While You Were Away’ feature at Twitter. Achieves its purpose without affecting real time news feed!
— Samir Selman (@selman) December 30, 2014
That twitter ‘while you were away’ thing just means I tweet people three days in delay!?! What is it’s purpose!?!??
— and_ (@and_armstrong) December 30, 2014
Truth is that the success of ‘While you were away’ will greatly depends on the algorithm that Twitter uses to source your “best” tweets. A recap can only be useful if Twitter pulls out tweets we really want to read.
It seems the new feature is not yet available to all users but the significant rollout indicates it should be widely available very soon. A few users even reported having the feature since early December.
Related Stories:
- 27 Extremely Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts For Twitter
- Twitter Will Track Your App Data
- Discover the Twitter Cards Of The Future
You might also like
More from Twitter
Twitter Is Shutting Down Periscope
Another one bites the dust! Twitter announced that it's shutting down Periscope, but keeping native live video streaming in its …
Twitter Is Bringing Back Its Verification Program In January
After pausing its verification program in 2017, Twitter has now announced that it's bringing it back on January 20, 2021.
You Can Now Share Tweets Directly To Snapchat Stories On iOS
Twitter has announced a new feature that allows you to add Tweets directly to your Snapchat Stories on iOS.
#ThisHappened On Twitter In 2020
Twitter has released its year in review report, examining what kept us entertained and the messages we shared. This is …
Twitter Asks Twitter To Summarize 2020 In One Word
Twitter took Twitter by storm by asking users to describe 2020 in one word. The tweet generated over 120,000 replies.
Twitter Is Introducing Frequency Caps For Ads Globally
Twitter announced it's introducing frequency caps for ads on its platform. The feature will be available globally.One of the …
Twitter Will Automatically De-Verify Some Of Its Users
Twitter verification may resume soon. But first, the company says it's planning to automatically de-verify some of its users.
How To Share A Tweet In A Fleet
Twitter rolled out Fleets globally this week, and with it comes a new way to share existing tweets with your …
Twitter Rolls Out Fleets To All Users Globally
After testing Fleets in several countries, Twitter is now expanding the Stories-like feature to all users globally.
