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Twitter extends its new timeline feature to Android users

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Twitter has launched a new feature for Android that gives users more control of their timeline by letting them quickly switch between an algorithm-generated timeline and one that shows the most recent tweets first.

The same feature launched for iPhone in December 2018.

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It’s super-simple to use, though first make sure you have the latest version of Twitter loaded on your phone. After that, a new “sparkle” button will appear at the top right of the display.

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Tapping on it brings up a card at the bottom of the screen that lets you jump between the default “Home” setting, which shows the algorithm-generated “top tweets,” to the “latest tweets” posted by people that you follow.

If you leave Twitter in the latest-tweets setting but don’t go back to the app for a while, it will automatically switch you back to the Home setting for top tweets when you return. In that case, a short message will appear on the display telling you that you’ve been returned to the Home setting.

Twitter announced the new Android feature in a tweet on Tuesday, January 15.

Twitter had a go at ditching the latest-tweets timeline — also known as the reverse-chronological timeline — in 2016, replacing it with one that surfaced “in case you missed it” posts and top tweets. But the new timeline left some users confused, prompting many to call for the return of the more simple and straightforward latest-tweets style.

Last year the company responded by testing ways to offer both types of timeline, eventually coming up with the sparkle button which it hopes will satisfy the majority of its users.

“We’ve learned that when showing the best tweets first, people find Twitter more relevant and useful. However, we’ve heard feedback from people who at times prefer to see the most recent tweets,” the San Francisco-based company said last summer while testing the feature.

The Twitter community will surely be delighted that the company appears to be taking note of feedback when it comes to the usability of the app. Now we’re wondering if it’ll get around to launching a much-called-for edit button …

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Trevor Mogg
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