Twitter plays around again with new design for search results

By Marc Schenker April 28, 2015

twitter plays around again with new design for search results

If you’re a frequent Twitter user, chances are you may have caught a quick glimpse of the company’s latest look for its search results page. Recently, a sharp observer at Re/code noticed a new look to Twitter’s search results and quickly took a screen shot. Twitter confirmed that it indeed was testing a new look, but this isn’t the first time in recent memory that the company was caught experimenting with its search results design.

Twitter’s aim is to make using search easier and faster for everyone. That’s a key prerequisite for people to use that feature more frequently. The company’s been dogged by its lackluster search feature from the start, given that the constantly updating nature of tweeting makes it hard to locate older tweets. These design experiments are part of a broader strategy to improve search on the site.

Related Videos

The new but brief design iteration showed a few notable changes. The filter options that were at home on the left-hand side, and recently moved to the top of the page as tabs, received new colors. Tabs included “top,” “live,” “accounts,” “photos,” “videos” and “more options.”

As a result, the trends section, traditionally farther down on the left-hand side, got pushed up, thereby allowing more space for the accompanying news summaries.

Earlier in April, Twitter also experimented with design changes to its search results page. Then, the left-hand side also featured recommendations on who to follow, which meant that trends were still pushed to the bottom and didn’t feature news summaries. The filter options, however, were already moved as tabs to the top of the page.

With each new design iteration, Twitter is aiming for a cleaner look that’s easier to navigate.

Experimenting with the search design is only one of a series of new projects the company has been pursuing of late. Recently, it struck a deal with Google to have its tweets show up in Google search results. According to Twitter management, tweets could already begin popping up in Google search results as early as May.

All of these moves by the company are intended to increase the usability of the social networking site, and drive more people and, therefore, revenue to the company.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Social Media

What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative

Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Social Media

Twitter’s SMS two-factor authentication is having issues. Here’s how to switch methods

A person's hands holding a smartphone as they browse Twitter on it.

It might be a good idea to review and change your two-factor authentication options for Twitter. Elon Musk's Twitter has another issue for its users to worry about.

Twitter has reportedly been having issues with its SMS two-factor authentication feature (2FA). According to Wired, beginning as early as this past weekend, some Twitter users have reported difficulties logging in to their Twitter accounts due to the app's SMS 2FA feature not working properly. Essentially, the feature relies on the app sending users an authentication code via text message, which they can then enter as a second step in the login process.

Social Media

Twitter has reportedly suspended signups for Twitter Blue

Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

The start of Elon Musk's tenure as owner of Twitter has not been without its struggles and chaos. And so far, the chaos Twitter currently finds itself in shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

So it seems fitting that the latest news on the Twitter front is that signups for the microblogging platform's $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription have reportedly been suspended. On Friday, Forbes reported that new signups for Twitter's newly revamped Blue subscription have apparently been disabled, having "verified that users have not been able to sign up to the service for more than an hour," and also citing that the option to sign up for Blue on the iOS app had disappeared as further proof of the suspension. The Verge also noted that some users may still see the option to subscribe, only to then be met with an error message. One of the editors at Digital Trends said the option to sign up for the service is just missing from his iOS app's menu, noted that it had been like that "since at least 8 p.m. PT last night," and shared the following screenshot: