Searching for viral topics on Twitter will now offer users more than just a list of weird hashtags and labels. Twitter is revamping its old #Discover tab in favor of the new "Trends" section.
The update is found in the latest versions of Twitter's iOS and Android apps. The new format is currently set to the English language and works exclusively for tweeps in the U.S. who have tailored trends activated for their accounts.
"Trends" are found by tapping on the Search tab. The functionality has led many to wonder how exactly the "Trends" section differs from the previous setup.
In the old interface, the #Discover tab was found in the navigation panel. It was simply a roster of the latest topics from within one's network that Twitter deemed important to the account holder. However, #Discover offered little to Twitter users who wanted more information about viral content all in a quick glance.
Simple acronyms used as hashtags, such as the much-referenced #NYFW, do not always clue in netizens on what is actually trending, which, in this case, is "New York Fashion Week."
The more cryptic hashtags, like #WelcomeHomeLiamsSecondKidney, also seem nonsensical when taken out of context, which, in this instance, was about a pop singer's joke.
Because of situations like this, Twitter is turning what was once just a hodgepodge of hashtags and topic labels into a more "descriptive" index of stories.
"We know that trends aren't always self-explanatory, so now you’ll see a description below each trend," noted Gabor Cselle, Twitter's group product manager for Content and Discovery.
A hashtag such as #Oscars2015 for a big event, for instance, might include a more specific snippet, such as "Lady Gaga Sound of Music medley" or "TV ratings slump."
The extra step of including brief descriptions to the hashtags will give users better context regarding the topics. In other instances too, the "Trends" may even include the number of tweets that have been posted about the subject and the level of interest it is generating — whether it is increasing or decreasing.
Twitter may be known for providing fresh content fast, but when it comes to helping users sift through the number of updates that start to pile up, the social media site has had to implement a number of updates, such as "Recommended Tweets" and "While You Were Away," in the past year in order to keep users engaged.
