Twitter’s ‘Circle’ Feature Lets You Tweet to Close Friends Only

Joaquin Victor Tacla, Tech Times 03 May 2022, 07:05 pm

Some tweets are worth sharing with the public. However, some tweets are better shared with only a few trusted people.

Hence, Twitter announced on Tuesday that the app is now testing a feature called "Circle", which enables the user to limit the number of accounts who can view, like, and reply to a tweet.

(Photo : OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
In this photo illustration, a phone screen displays the Twitter logo on a Twitter page background, in Washington, DC, on April 26, 2022.

"Similar to Close Friends"

With the "Circle" feature, users will no longer be required to tweet to all their followers or the general public in the future, and if they want their tweets to be private, they do not need to switch their accounts to private mode --which is one way to keep your tweets hidden from the public.

Twitter Error

Users will be able to limit the viewers of their tweets to a group of as many as 150 people. This is similar to Instagram's Close Friends, where users can post stories, and only a selected number of followers will be able to access them.

Twitter said on Twitter that some users could begin creating their Circle. They also confirmed to Engadget that the feature is already accessible to a "small group" of Android, iOs, and web users in some areas of the world.

The social platform is likely to make the feature more accessible to a wider audience if they determine the testing as a success, which means that user's feedback will be imperative for its continuation.

However, it is worth noting that this feature has been in the works since last year. Twitter, on July 2021, shared three concept designs that they were working for a feature called Trusted Friends. Hence, Circle is the upgrade and the culmination of the plans made for Trusted Friends.

Despite Elon Musk's recent acquisition of the bird app, several product testings were not delayed or halted, such as the upcoming edit tweets feature, and now the Circle feature is rolling in. This means that their initial plans for product testing might not have been compromised during Musk's era.

How it Works

Twitter Circle can include both followers and non-followers on the list of 150 people who have access to the user's tweets. When a user wants to tweet to their close friends, they have to pull up the Choose Audience Menu and select Twitter Circle instead of Everyone.

The company clarified that this feature is different from its Communities - which also hide tweets to prevent "context collapse", because this feature is only limited to a particular discussion, while Circle includes standard tweets that are not accessible to everyone.

This means that the user does not need to lock their account so that their tweets will only be visible to their followers. People that are included in the Circle will be able to view the tweets but will not have the option to retweet or share them.

However, the feature is not exempted from Twitter's guidelines even though the public will not have access to your tweets. The user can still be banned from the platform if they show abusive behavior or activities that defy the platform's rules.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla