In an effort to better compete with Instagram and Snapchat, Twitter is testing a new feature called “Fleets.”
Twitter has been working to compete with newer social media platforms that have eclipsed it, in terms of monetizable users. Twitter has also received its fair share of negative press in the last couple of years, with many critics saying the company doesn’t do enough to stop trolls and online harassment. The company has been experimenting with a number of features designed to help users retake control of the conversation and give them the tools to fight trolls.
Starting Wednesday, Twitter is testing Fleets, tweets that disappear after 24 hours. Fleets are currently being tested in Brazil, but the company hopes to expand them to other markets if they prove successful.
Twitter Product Lead Kayvon Beykpour explained the new feature in a series of tweets:
“We’ve been listening to this feedback and working to create new capabilities that address some of the anxieties that hold people back from talking on Twitter. Today, in Brazil only, we’re starting a test (on Android and iOS) for one of those new capabilities. It’s called Fleets.”
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) 3/4/20
“Fleets are a way to share fleeting thoughts. Unlike Tweets, Fleets disappear after 24 hours and don’t get Retweets, Likes, or public replies– people can only react to your Fleets with DMs. Instead of showing up in people’s timelines, Fleets are viewed by tapping on your avatar.”
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) 3/4/20
“We’re hoping that Fleets can help people share the fleeting thoughts that they would have been unlikely to Tweet. This is a substantial change to Twitter, so we’re excited to learn by testing it (starting with the rollout today in Brazil) and seeing how our customers use it.”
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) 3/4/20