Twitter Tests New Feature To Show Current Events On Top Of Timeline

Updated on

It seems Twitter is testing a new way to put the list of popular events to the right of users’ timelines. The feature was first seen in a screenshot shared by Twitter user @JaeHokes, who is apparently part of the experiment test group, notes Recode.

A new way to show what’s “happening now” on Twitter

In the new feature, a new label reading “happening now” could be seen, including Twitter cards showing the current event or  conversation happening on the platform. Users can scroll left or right through the cards by clicking on them, giving them a timeline of tweets focused on that event. Twitter user @JaeHokes shared  images of the cards showing a number of live sporting events with Recode.

The company has been looking to inform people more about what is happening around the world through its content. With this new feature, the experience will be different from the current setup, in which users need to click the “explore tab,” which includes things such as trends and moments.

Adding the new feature

Twitter has constantly been testing and adding new features to enrich the user experience. Just last month, the company added a new feature to  Direct Messages that filter out all the DMs from unknown followers. These direct messages from unknown followers are bucketed under “Requests” in the new message tab inbox.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the company released a new feature to get users interested in live video. During the NewFronts event in May, the micro-blogging firm disclosed that it had entered into a deal with Live Nation to live-stream concerts exclusively on the platform, starting with the Zac Brown Band on May 13. The second concert, songwriting duo Marian Hill, was streamed in a broadcast sponsored by T- Mobile.

The new feature is yet another attempt by the company to popularize its video streams. In the first quarter, the micro-blogging site had 800 hours of programming, an increase from the 500 hours in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Not helping much

Despite the new features, Twitter has been struggling to retain users, but that has not stopped the company from claiming that it’s much bigger than its user base. At the Code Conference at the Terranea Resort in California, Twitter’s CFO and COO Anthony Noto said that about 1.6 billion unique visitors per month see tweets on third-party properties like TV and other digital media. The company has displayed five straight quarter of net positive user growth; however, its monthly user base of 328 million is much lower than its peers or even television.

The company also posted weak numbers on the revenue front, as advertisers pulled back from the social media service favored by Donald Trump, journalists and celebrities. In the first quarter, the San Francisco-based company posted an 8% drop in revenue, bringing it to $548 million. This was the first year-over-year quarterly revenue drop for the company since it became public in 2013.

Advertising revenue declined 11% at $474 million in the quarter. The micro-blogging firm posted a net quarterly loss of $62 million, which was better than the $80 million loss in the first quarter of 2016 and the $167 million loss in the previous quarter.

Leave a Comment