Twitter is experimenting with a News tab feature for Android and iOS users that will update them with breaking news from approved sources.
The new tab sits in the navigation bar and has already been rolled out to users in the U.S. and Japan. The tab offers a list of headlines from publishers approved by Twitter. This latest feature will help busy people get important news on their portable devices easily and quickly, even on the go.
When a user clicks on a news headline, they are then directed to a story screen that contains an image as well as a block of text regarding the story. The screen also shows some tweets related to the story.
"We're experimenting with a news experience on iOS and Android as we continue to explore new ways to surface the best content to users," said a Twitter spokesperson.
Experts suggest that the News tab and the company's unreleased Project Lightning, which will curate tweets from real humans, will be great tools for those who use social media to get breaking news. Both features are also expected to make social media more appealing to new users.
Currently, there are no ads that accompany the News tab. However, ads may soon appear on the service as it may have a big impact on the company's revenue.
It is difficult to insert ads in Twitter, as the conversational nature would make ads appear forced in tweets. However, the News tab feature may give advertisers less conversational experience that will help Twitter to insert ads and generate revenue. For instance, sports news gets advertisers of sporting equipment.
The content is being tested with limited partners, such as The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News and more. However, the number of content partners may grow in the near term.
Twitter has not officially revealed the release date of the feature in various parts of the world. Twitter users will most likely gain access to the service sooner rather than later.
Photo: Hank Mitchell | Flickr
