Twitter is considering of making the 140-character limit for tweets longer—as much as 10,000 characters, according to a report from Re/code based on information from people familiar with the company’s plan.
According to the report, the microblogging company is developing a new feature that would allow users to post longer messages beyond the existing 140 characters on their Twitter accounts.
Twitter insiders call the new feature “Beyond 140”
The sources indicated that Twitter is planning to release the new feature by the end of the first quarter. According to them, the microblogging company hasn’t set an official schedule for the launching of the new services.
The planned 10,000-character limit for tweets is similar to the maximum characters allowed for the company’s Direct Messages products. According to the sources, there is a possibility for Twitter to change the character limit for tweets before launching the final product, which is referred to by insiders as “Beyond 140.”
Twitter is currently testing the product
Twitter is currently testing the “Beyond 140” product wherein tweets appear similar to the existing format—displaying 140 characters, but it has a call to action indicating additional information.
The sources explained that the microblogging company designed the new feature to retain the same look and timeline experienced by users. However, they indicated that the design is not yet final.
One of the people emphasized that design is critical. Adding contents or bigger picture on tweets reduced user engagement in the past—the main reason the microblogging company is trying to increase the character limit without disrupting how users scroll their timeline.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is looking for ways to boost user growth. The microblogging company recently release several product updates including Moments, the buy button, and polls to tweets. The company also changed the star-shaped “favorite” icon to a “heart-shaped” icon called “like.”
Some users expressed their opposition to the new feature and posted tweets with the hashtag, #beyond140. Take note that the 140-character limit is what makes Twitter unique from other social networks. Some people use the microblogging site because of its uniqueness. Andrew Wright tweeted, “Just say no to #beyond140!”
