What you need to know
- Twitter has a new timeline view that splits chronological and algorithmic tweets into two tabs.
- However, the app shows algorithm-based tweets first by default each time you open it.
- The update is currently being rolled out to Twitter's iOS app, with Android and web versions coming soon.
Twitter today announced a new timeline that defaults to its algorithmic suggestions instead of the latest tweets. The micro-blogging site now displays two tabs at the top of the app for both the Home and Latest Tweets timelines.
The update lets you pin the Latest timeline to your Home tab so you can easily view the most recent tweets from accounts you follow. This means you can just swipe back and forth between the two timelines instead of repeatedly tapping the sparkle icon.
It's rolling out first to Twitter on iOS, and soon to many of the best Android phones and the web. Beta testing for the new capability started in October of last year.
However, the new update doesn't show the latest tweets by default every time you open the app. In response to the platform's tweet announcing the change, one user noted that the app defaults to the Home timeline (recommendation algorithm) each time a user opens the app.
Twitter confirms that the algorithmic timeline is pinned first by default. It might displease a lot of users who have grown accustomed to the reverse chronological view, which is more ideal for a platform that people often turn to for breaking news, such as Twitter.
That said, you can swipe left on Home to access the latest tweets. Twitter might also consider defaulting its timeline to the chronological feed in the future.
The Home timeline will be pinned first by default, but you can quickly access the Latest timeline by swiping left on Home.We’ll share your feedback and request with the team.March 10, 2022
Instagram, on the other hand, has started testing a new option to bring back its chronological feed.
At the very least, Twitter's latest update makes it easier to see which timeline you're currently viewing.
Here's hoping that it won't take Twitter that long to walk back the most recent change to its timeline view.
