Staying true to what it's originally known for, last month, Twitter rolled out the reverse-chronological timeline for iOS, allowing users to see tweets about events as they happen. Now the feature is rolling out to Android users too.
In contrast to the algorithm-based feed, this same old brand-new feature makes it possible to switch between top tweets and real-time ones, a convenient option if a user is following updates on a certain event, say a basketball game or an awards night.
Toggling To Reverse-Chronological Timeline
Like the iOS version, the Twitter's reverse-chronological feed option for Android isn't a one-time thing. To switch to the recent tweets option, simply hit the "sparkle" button at the top right corner of the Twitter screen. Tap this button again and the app will revert to sorted top tweets.
Android, we got you. Starting today, tap to switch between latest and top Tweets. pic.twitter.com/7rXo3BNEJ6 — Twitter (@Twitter) January 15, 2019
The app will observe a user's behavior, though. Depending on what type of feed is frequently used, Twitter will make it as a default setting every time the app is launched.
The update is yet to be rolled out on the web version.
Twitter Timeline Ranking
Flashback to four years ago: competition among social media networks was tight, and in a bid to get way ahead of one another, it became a norm to test out different timeline formats that will best appeal to users.
Perhaps threatened by other sites such as Facebook, Twitter tried to reinvent itself as well and followed suit. It began curating feeds with top-ranked tweets in an effort to increase usage. This timeline format involves prioritizing popular tweets, such as those about major events, or tweets that a user might have missed since the last page refresh.
Most users weren't happy about it, and that's understandable, as it beats the purpose of the micro-blogging site — Twitter has always been the go-to for real-time updates.
To be fair, the reverse-chronological option technically never went away. It's just hidden in the corners of the app's setting, though switching to this option was only temporary until the recent reverse-chronological feed update was rolled out last December 2018 for iOS users.
