Twitter’s New Prototype App Hides Likes & Retweets for "Healthy Conversation"
Twitter has launched a prototype app called Twttr, which will be used to test new features in a bid to promote "healthy conversation."
Taking cues from Kanye West, buttons for likes, retweets, replies, and shares are hidden, until a user taps on an individual tweet. Some replies will also be hidden by default under a "Show More" button. See below for an example of how Twttr looks at the moment.
Twttr, a reference to CEO's Jack Dorsey's first-ever tweet, was rolled out to a small group of users earlier this week. The new app is a way for Twitter to test new, experimental features without having to implement them in its main app.
Initially, Twttr will focus on playing with the design of conversations, as well as the engagement features. Conversations currently appear rounded, similar to a chat, with indentations and color-coded markers to make the discussion easier to follow. The color-coding denotes the original poster with a gray, curved line and a blue, curved line indicates people the user follows.
As for the main app, Twitter just announced changes to the camera. The company wants users to be able to share photos, videos, and live broadcasts on-the-go with ease, so now the camera is accessible by simply swiping to the left. Colors, captions, locations, and hashtags can be added to media, similar to Instagram and Snapchat.