Twitter Notes: Twitter’s next feature that will see the platform expand into long-form content

Twitter is about to launch a new feature that will completely change the relationship of users with the platform. And yes, we are talking about an equally significant change since the platform doubled the number of characters from 140 to 280. 

The new feature is called Twitter Notes and will allow users to create articles using rich formatting and uploaded media, which can then be tweeted and shared with followers.

The feature is being tested with select users ahead of its next public release. And what will happen if many people adopt this new feature? Let’s just say Twitter Notes could change the way many people use the social network when sharing their thoughts and ideas.

Twitter Notes is the result of users’ need to share long content

Users were constantly looking for ways to stretch the character limit to express an idea. One of the most common strategies is threads. Despite providing opportunities and interaction with the community, these can also be a bit difficult to manage, especially when the content is very long. 

That spawned useful bots, such as Thread Reader, which turns a mountain of tweets into links where the individual posts in the thread are formatted as an article.

Additionally, users have also worked around character restrictions using the Notes app on their smartphones. Some people choose to write long content from within the app and then post a screenshot of their text. 

This works if you want to send a message to a large audience, but it does not benefit Twitter, since the text is not indexed on the platform. Therefore, hashtags cannot be searched or clicked.

Twitter Notes would be the perfect alternative for all users who need to write long content since they will be able to share their thoughts directly on Twitter. Like tweets, Notes would have their link and could be Tweeted, Retweeted, Direct Messaged, Liked, and Favorited.

What we know about how Twitter Notes works

The feature was spotted in tests earlier this year by app researchers including Jane Manchun Wong and others. These are some of the details that the researchers managed to rescue:

• Previously, Notes was called “Twitter Article”.
• According to Wong’s research in May, the feature offered formatting tools in a bar at the top of the screen. In short, everything you might see on a blogging platform: bold, italicize, strikethrough, ordered lists, add links, change styling, insert media and embeds, track word count, and more.

• Users can also add a GIF, video, or up to four photos to their article. As well as include embedded tweets via URLs and your bookmarks.
• Wong noted that he also spotted a “Focus Mode” feature that would expand the article to a full-screen view and hide Twitter’s sidebars.
• Wong also points out that the feature looked very well done, so its release could be close.
• According to researcher Nima Owji, the feature allows saving articles as drafts and an interface to access both drafts and published content.
• According to the app’s researchers, the new feature will be accessible from users’ profiles, specifically to the right of the “Tweets and Replies” link and before “Media.”
• Users who wish to write new notes can do so through a link added to the main Twitter navigation.

Twitter Notes will be a new competition

Without a doubt, the introduction of Twitter Notes will be a competition for platforms like WordPress or Medium. It could be very useful for those users who want to make long posts but without the need to have a website to maintain. Similarly, the key here for the platform is to show users that its function is worthwhile.

Twitter is expected to launch Twitter Notes in the coming weeks unless some of the company’s (Elon Musk) internal issues prevent it.