What’s trending on Twitter? Popular Articles offers a comment-free look

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published September 20, 2017

Finding the most popular articles just got a bit simpler. Twitter recently confirmed the global rollout of a new feature called Popular Articles, which creates a list of the most talked-about links on the 140-character social media platform.

Popular Articles is a new section inside Twitter’s search menu or explore tab within both the iOS and Android apps. Users need to scroll past a few other popularized categories to find it. Inside the Popular Articles feature, Twitter lists the most discussed articles but doesn’t include any of the commentaries. The feature lists the article’s link preview, without any of the accompanying Tweets or even who shared the article.

Recommended Videos

The articles included in the section will vary a bit based on the user — the section features articles that are most popular among other users that you follow. These articles can also be influenced by location, according to BuzzFeed News. Links open in a new tab within the app to read the entire article. A “show more” option, however, will remove that personalization and display the most popular related articles, regardless of who you follow on Twitter.

Twitter has only had the Explore section where the new Popular Articles are located since the start of the year, an update to the Moments section that launched in 2015. Along with the new Popular Articles, the Explore tab serves as a home for easily finding live videos and the most popular hashtags. Moments, or articles created directly on Twitter itself, also lives in the Explore section.

Ranking the most popular articles isn’t a new idea — Facebook has a trending news section as well. Designing an appropriate algorithm to determine which stories should go in that section is not easy, however, as Facebook learned when fake news stories were included in the section.

Curating the most popular articles is also popular within third-party apps, like Nuzzel. Unlike Twitter’s new built-in articles feature, Nuzzle leaves the Twitter commentary intact and will display who tweeted the link.

Twitter started out the year with a string of updates designed to curb abuse with expanded algorithms and mute and filter tools, followed by a Twitter Lite, a version of the app designed to use less data. Now, hidden code suggests an automatic tweet series is on the platform’s radar for potential upcoming updates.

Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

Topics

Phones

Google just made switching from iPhone to Android much easier with Android 17

Android 17 can now transfer your passwords, passkeys, eSIM, and even your home screen.

Android-17-switch-ios-to-android

Moving from an iPhone to an Android phone has never been an easy process, but Google is trying to change that. With Android 17, the company has introduced a rebuilt Android Switch that can move far more of your data than any past version ever could.

Google worked with Apple to create the new transfer system from the ground up, allowing far more information to move wirelessly than before. The upgraded experience is already rolling out to eligible Pixel devices and is also available on Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 through Smart Switch.

Cars

WhatsApp’s new in-car experience is built around hands-free control

CarPlay and Android Auto users can now hear and reply to messages, view call history, and reach favorite contacts without touching their phone.

WhatsApp new CarPlay experience featured

Meta is overhauling how WhatsApp works in the car, giving CarPlay and Android Auto users a lot more to do than just sending texts and making calls. The company announced the change in a newsroom post today, alongside several other updates rolling out to the messaging app.

WhatsApp finally works hands-free in the car

Phones

I tried the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and I am totally in love with this unique foldable

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 trades bulk for a genuinely pocketable design, and after holding one next to an iPhone 17 Pro, I'm convinced it's the foldable to beat this year.

Symbol, Electronics, Mobile Phone

Samsung is trying to jazz things up once again in the foldable space, and the mantra this time around is going smaller and lighter. The result of those efforts is the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it’s the first time in years that I vocally said “wow” the moment I picked it up. It’s pocketable, light, sleek, and most importantly, oozes functional charm.

Just take a look at how petite it is when held alongside a modern-age iPhone. In an age when smartphones are getting thicker and bulkier, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 wants to stand out in a rather unique fashion. Even in the unfolded state, it’s less than a millimeter thicker than an iPhone 17 Pro (9.7 vs 8.75 mm). If you compare the weight, the comparison flips in its favor. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is lighter than even the smaller iPhone 17 Pro (201 grams vs 204 grams).