Twitter tried to throw shade at Instagram and got ratioed instead

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You tried it, Twitter. But Instagram won this round.

Twitter logo on a Pixel 4 XL
(Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Instagram recently launched two new modes to display posts in chronological order.
  • Twitter responded to Instagram's announcement with a shady GIF.
  • Instagram responded right back, teasing Twitter for still not having an edit button.

It's always amusing when companies bicker at each other, but it's all fun and games until someone hits a sore spot. Instagram may have done just that after a little exchange on Twitter saw the official Twitter Comms account get ratioed.

For the uninitiated, "ratioed" refers to a response to a tweet that gets more likes than the tweet it's responding to. It's usually the result of a bad take that gets called out. Case in point: Twitter's response to Instagram's new chronological feed.

As you can see, Twitter came at Instagram with a shady GIF, likely to highlight how users are already able to switch between "Home tweets," which shows an algorithmic timeline, and "Latest tweets," which shows tweets in chronological order. You can toggle this on iOS and the best Android phones with the sparkle icon on the top right corner.

Obviously, Instagram wasn't having it because, its response was pretty masterful.

It's a comical response that highlights the lack of an edit button on Twitter, which is probably thee most requested feature on the platform, and one Twitter seems content not to provide. Meanwhile, Instagram lets you edit posts after the fact.

It's also funny that Twitter tried to throw shade in the first place, considering its most recent experiment to change its own timeline failed pretty spectacularly. Earlier this month, Twitter rolled out a new tabbed timeline that would allow users to pin the latest tweets timeline so you could swipe between the two feeds. However, the feature received plenty of backlash as it would default to the algorithmic timeline if users closed and reopened the app. Needless to say, the feature was abandoned within days.

Still, it's a pretty hilarious exchange between the two platforms, and we hope Twitter will learn from Instagram just as Instagram has seemingly learned from Twitter.

Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.