Twitter is getting a new look, with a number of design tweaks aiming to make the platform faster, lighter, and easier to use.
In a bid to boost its user base and get more people engaged with the platform, Twitter has redesigned its app across mobile, web, and desktop. The new design doesn't mark a radical change from the previous user experience, but it does aim to make things smoother and cleaner.
Twitter App Redesign: What's New?
While the redesign is not as big as when Twitter Moments hit the scene, it does bring some small tweaks that change the settings location, the shape of the icons, the typography, and other such details.
"Today, with lots of feedback and ideas from you, we're refreshing our product too and making it feel lighter, faster, and easier to use," says Twitter. "We listened closely and kept what you love. And for the things you didn't, we took a new approach to fix and make better."
The new experience is rolling out across Android, iOS, the web, TweetDeck, and Twitter Lite, in the coming days and weeks.
The update brings profile, settings, privacy, and additional accounts under one roof, thanks to a new navigation menu on the side. Android users have been enjoying this decluttered experience since last year and now iOS gets it too. For iOS, Twitter links to websites and articles will now open in the Safari viewer within the Twitter app.
When it comes to typography, Twitter has made it easier to spot headlines so users get a sense of what's going on at a glance. The profile photos, meanwhile, are now rounded, making it easier to figure out who said what.
Twitter Update To Attract New Users
Twitter further touts that its new icons are more intuitive and engaging, which should be particularly useful for first-time Twitter users. Until this change, some thought the arrow icon for replies meant going back to the previous page, or deleting. To eliminate such confusion, Twitter has redesigned the reply icon to a speech bubble so that it's clearer what it means. At the same time, the icons are also lighter. Extra accessibility options are also in the mix, such as more color contrast.
The company points out that all of these visual overhauls aim to make the app more user-friendly and easier to navigate. For existing Twitter users, it should simply make things more appealing, enhancing the overall experience, while for newcomers it should make the app easier to use and understand.
Twitter is among the most popular social media platforms, but it's been experiencing sluggish growth in recent times. The redesign aims to attract new users, but it remains to be seen whether the effort will prove successful. The update still doesn't bring other highly requested features, such as the ability to edit tweets once they've been posted.
The update will start rolling out for iOS and Android today and continue its rollout to all platforms in the near future. If you've already got the latest Twitter version, drop by our comments section below and tell us what you think of it.
