The update is currently being made available to iOS users and allows them to tag their tweets with a specific location. General users can then tap on these tweets to access a timeline of posts from the same location, powered by Foursquare.
The feature could make it easier for Twitter users to tune into all the tweets from major events, including protests, political rallies, music festivals, sports events, business conferences, and conventions. In the past, this type of mass curation was only possible through hashtags. However, as TechCrunch notes, the update isn’t as easily accessible as hashtags (which only need to be tapped to bring up related tweets) at present. Unlike hashtags, which can be used by anyone, specific location tags can help you identify who is actually at an event you care about.
When you tag a tweet with a precise location, others will see it linked at the end of your post. To access the location timeline, you have to first tap on the tweet to bring up its detail page, and then tap on the linked location to bring up its timeline of related tweets. The Twitter location page carries the “Powered by Foursquare” branding, along with a banner image of the site on a map. Tweets and media can be viewed separately on the timeline, which also contains a link through to the Foursquare app. This convoluted method is currently the only way to access the new timeline, it can’t (for example) be found by typing a location into the Twitter search bar.
Twitter announced its partnership with Foursquare in March, and this is the first we’ve heard of it since. In a blog post announcing the team-up, Twitter stated: “In some areas, you have the option to label your Tweet with a specific business, landmark, or point of interest. These places are sourced from Foursquare.”
Both companies have confirmed the update, and claim that more location-based features are to come. The move could boost advertising on the platform, allowing brands to tag their promotional tweets with locations, and tap into events where their products are being consumed by general users. Additionally, it could provide accurate data for Twitter’s Moments news feed. Twitter claims that the update will eventually be rolled out to all users.
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