Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) gradually started to roll out its new user profiles today. The new look features a bigger photo of the user and a header image which can be customized. The micro-blogging site has been testing this look since February, and it said this morning on its blog that it is now in the process of rolling it out for everyone.
Details on Twitter’s new look
The new profiles also indicate which tweets are more popular than others by making them a bit bigger than others. Twitter defines popularity as sparking the most engagement on the site. Users are also able to pin any of their tweets to the top of their user profile page.
In addition, they can decide which timeline to read when looking at a profile page. Users can decide whether they want to see all of the tweets, just the tweets which have photos or videos, or only tweets and replies.
Twitter tries to be like Facebook
Mashable notes that the changes make Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR)’s new profiles look quite a bit like Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s profiles. The photo on Facebook is square and placed in the top left-hand side of the screen. There’s also a big cover photo which stretches across the top. And then underneath the profile photo, we find the user’s basic information. Beneath that, the profile lists photos and friends.
The main difference between Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR)’s and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s user profiles is the placement of the photos and the followers. The user’s followers are listed above the photos, which is the opposite of Facebook.
Many celebrities already have the new profiles, and it will gradually be rolled out to other users over the next few weeks. As examples, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) showed off the pages of First Lady Michelle Obama, actress Kerry Washington, who stars in the show Scandal, and the band Weezer.
Those who are now just signing up for Twitter for the first time will start with the new profile.
