Twitter No Longer A 'Social Networking' App, Now A 'News' App

After posting another quarter of sluggish user growth, Twitter now considers itself as a "News" app rather than a "Social Networking" one on the App Store in a bid to boost its visibility.

A report from TechCrunch presents a comprehensive analysis on why it moved the app to the "News" category, in which it now sits at number 1 spot.

TechCrunch says the move could further advance the app's popularity in the App Store.

"As users set up new iPhones for the first time by visiting various app categories, they're likely to take a number one ranked application into heightened consideration," reads the report.

The change could likewise affect the overall ranking of the app on the App Store, particularly in the top "Free" apps list, in which it is currently at 28th spot.

This can then further increase the number of app downloads.

Previously, Twitter app for iOS had to go head-to-head with a wide array of apps under the Social Networking category, in the likes of WhatsApp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Skype.

What's odd, though, is that Twitter continues to categorize its app under Social Networking on Google Play, as of press time.

Moreover, the company has yet to push out its official statement as to why it made such change.

In the past quarter, the growth of the app's active users increased to 310 million from 305 million in the fourth quarter of last year.

Previously, the app also implemented a slew of new, nifty features in an aim to make it more attractive, compelling, and easier to use for users.

The tweaks include the addition of polls, launching the new feature dubbed Moments, and changing of "favorites" to "likes" along with modifications on how Twitter posts are sorted in users' timelines.

It is also worth mentioning that the newly pushed out Reddit iOS app, also a non-traditional news app, is also at number 2 spot in the News category.

To boil things down, this move from the company is expected to have an impact to the overall ranking of Twitter in the App Store down the line, hence boost the number of its active users.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below regarding the company's latest move. Do you think the shift can further boost Twitter's active users' growth?

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