Twitter will now let users add images, videos, and GIFs to their retweets or quoted tweets. The company is making this feature available across Android, iOS, and its mobile website. It's not live on the desktop version yet, however.
Adding media to a retweet is easy. Simply tap the "retweet with comment" option, choose the image or GIF icon in the toolbar, then add the chosen media. While a small update, Twitter says the feature was actually quite difficult to implement because it had to design it in a way that made sense and wasn't overwhelming when mixed in with other found in the timeline.
"We found it was challenging for people to quickly understand all the content in a Retweet with media. This was due to the layout; two large tweets stacked on top of each other," according to a spokesperson for Twitter, as The Verge reports.
As a workaround, Twitter places the original tweet in a smaller, indented box that still features the original author's profile picture. Meanwhile, it features the media in the retweet in full width.
Retweets With Media
Twitter says some brands, creators, and personalities are already adding media items to retweets. Accounts such as @GameOfThrones and @NASA are already trying it out. It's a feature many users have requested Twitter to add and just of several recent changes the service either has added or been experimenting with.
Valar Dohaeris. https://t.co/gbGdoHekBo pic.twitter.com/wop7OqLeAK — Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) May 6, 2019
As of this time, though, retweets with media look a bit janky when viewed on desktop, which is something Twitter fixes soon, hopefully.
"The most exciting part of this project was that we were working on a feature that many people asked for," Twitter wrote. The company even shared a handful of posts by users who previously asked for the function, which might be an attempt on its part to prove that it actually listens. Still no edit button, though — CEO Jack Dorsey shared some ideas on how to implement that, at least.
What Else Is Twitter Working On?
Twitter is on an update spree of late. While there's no guarantee all its features-in-testing would make it, they're great ideas nonetheless. There's Swipe to Like, which allows a user to swipe a tweet to "like" it. The company is also testing a new labeling system to better distinguish an original "author" to "mentioned" tweets. In addition, "Lights Out" is a new Dark Mode that's way darker than the current one, although again, there's no telling if it's going to be added down the line.
