User Protested, Twitter Cancels New Tab Just Launched
JAKARTA - Twitter recently canceled an update that gave users the option to switch between an algorithmically generated Home tab and a Recent tab that would allow them to view tweets in chronological order.
This update was canceled due to complaints from users who reported that they were forced into the Home tab by default, every time they opened the app. According to users, this makes it difficult for them to view tweets in chronological order.
“We hear you, some of you always want to see the latest Tweets first. We've switched timelines back and removed the tabbed experience for now while we explore other options," Twitter said in a tweet posted by @TwitterSupport.
We heard you –– some of you always want to see the latest Tweets first. We've switched the timeline back and removed the tabbed experience for now while we explore other options. https://t.co/euVcPr9ij6
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 14, 2022
The controversy started last year when the company began testing a new tabbed interface for switching between an algorithmically generated Home tab and a Recents tab with reverse chronology.
On March 10, Twitter began rolling out the feature to iOS, promising it will be coming to its Android app and web client soon. However, instead of getting a positive response, the company actually received a lot of complaints from users.
Launching Engadget, Tuesday, March 14, users say they prefer the Recent tab over the Home version, because tweets are often displayed out of order in the last timeline.
According to The Verge, looking at tweets that are out of order is confusing. Especially when there is breaking news like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's even more confusing when outdated tweets are labeled the biggest.
This is not the first time the company headed by Parag Agrawal has canceled the feature. But this outcry shows that many people still want chronological type feeds and hate it when companies try to remove that functionality from them.