We’ve all hurriedly typed up and sent out a tweet, only to realize as soon as it’s posted that it has a typo. And we’ve all had the urge to tweet something snarky or ill-advised, only to think better of it at the last minute. Now, Twitter is experimenting with a new feature to save users from these dilemmas — but it will only be available for paid users.
Twitter is testing out an “undo send” function that would allow users to put a stop to their tweets before they are sent. Details are scarce, but it seems that it would work by introducing a small delay between a user hitting post and their tweet actually appearing on their timeline. In this window, they could use the undo send function if they want to edit their tweet or if they decide against posting it.
The new feature was uncovered by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who has ferreted out new features in the code of many social media apps in the past. She posted an animation showing the undo send function in action:
Twitter is working on “Undo Send” timer for tweets pic.twitter.com/nS0kuijPK0
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) March 5, 2021
A Twitter spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the feature was being tested, saying that it was exploring options for paid users. Twitter has recently been looking into ways to monetize its service, with suggestions that the company will start looking into features it could provide for those willing to pay for a subscription.
The new undo send feature could help avoid some embarrassing mishaps when tweeting, but it isn’t the edit tweet function that many users have wanted for a long time. It is currently impossible to edit a tweet once it has been sent — it can only be deleted. Despite various teases over the years — including a presumably joking statement by the company that “You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask” — there’s still no sign that an edit button is coming any time soon.
For now, those of us who aren’t paid users will just have to keep watching what we tweet.
