After years of complaints from its users, Twitter has finally decided to change how it shows its algorithmic timeline. The company will now remember the feed—the chronological “Following” list that users have chosen on the web—that it Huws them each time they visit the service. This change will relief many who had complained that the social network showed them the algorithmic timeline by default each time they visited.
As Twitter continues to make subtle changes to its dual timeline, users are now confused about what the new default is. The move to the algorithmic timeline on iOS earlier this month left some users wondering if it was a permanent change or just an experiment. With the web version still confusingly sorting tweets into reverse chronological order, it’s not clear which timeline is best for everyone.
- January 13: Twitter rolled out the dual-timeline update to the web but at that time the social network used to remember your choice.
- January 20: The company made the “For You” feed default on the web when users first opened Twitter in a tab or refreshed the page.
- January 24: Now, Twitter remembers your choices again. World peace.
Twitter’s latest update will let you create your own timeline instead of the company’s algorithmic timeline as the default. This change is likely made to make sure that users have more control over their experience on Twitter and don’t feel like they are being spoon-fed content by the company.
Were any of you (all of you) asking for your timeline to default to where you left it last?
Starting today on web, if you close Twitter on the “For you” or “Following” tabs, you will return to whichever timeline you had open last. iOS and Android coming soon!
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 24, 2023
Everyone who was asked to switch their timeline back to where it was last left seemed happy with the decision. Some people even said that they liked not having to worry about their time line constantly.
Twitter is trying something new today on web and iOS and Android. If you close the “For you” or “Following” tabs, you will return to whichever timeline you had open last. This may be helpful if you are following a lot of people and want to keep track of what they are saying without having to constantly switch tabs.
Twitter has been a huge part of my life for the last few years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it! Twitter has been a great way to stay connected with friends and family, networking, and getting information quickly and easily
Due to the changes made by Elon Musk and other powerful Twitter users, many third-party Twitter apps have been discontinued. Now, unless one wants to use the official Twitter app or website, they must use the official timeline. However, many power users who did not have to deal with this before now find themselves facing a difficult choice.
Critics say that Musk’s decision to reverse these decisions shows a lack of understanding of how social media works. Others argue that the CEO is simply reversing unpopular decisions in order to ” appeasing shareholders .” Whatever the reason, it seems that Musk’s willingness to change his mind often puts him at odds with those within his own company.
