Twitter’s next big redesign includes colour-coded replies, Facebook-like status updates

Twitter will soon introduce a WhatsApp-like beta programme where select group of users will get access to these new and upcoming features.

The shadows of people holding mobile phones are cast onto a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken in Warsaw September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files (REUTERS)

Twitter is experimenting with a new design aimed at making the application more interactive for its users. The micro-blogging platform will soon launch a beta programme under which select group of users will try out these new features before a wider roll out. The programme is quite similar to how WhatsApp tests its features with its standalone beta application.

Colour-coded replies
Twitter is working on colour-coded replies which help users differentiate replies from people they follow and from whom they don't. For instance, replies from people a user will follow have a green label, and the ones from they don't will be blue. TechCrunch, which got an early access to the beta platform, reports the early version of the colour-coded replies will have oversaturated colours but will be toned down when they reach to early beta testers.

Hearts
Twitter may soon hide hearts and favourites icons from the feed. They are not completely gone but will be only visible when a user clicks or taps on a particular tweet. The change could be part of the company's new strategy to make the platform less about popularity contest.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey during his maiden India trip had said that the followers count was no longer relevant on the platform. He added that the follower count was initially aimed at encourage people to follow each other.

Twitter had then "made the font size a little bit bigger than everything else on the page. We did not really think much about it and moved on to the next problem to solve. What that has done is we put all the emphasis, not intending to, on that number of how many people follow me. So, if that number is big and bold, what do people want to do with it? They want to make it go up," he had said. 

A first look at #Twitter's new beta app and its bid to remain 'valuable and relevant' https://t.co/DcfplBjsQw via @techcrunch #tech #apps #smartphones #socialmedia pic.twitter.com/uBI8dXloEd

— Ematic (@eMaticOfficial) January 14, 2019

More Facebook-like features
Twitter is indeed working on a Facebook-like status updates feature. According to the report, Twitter's status updates will allow users to post their location and their current status similar to Google Hangouts.

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sara Haider, Director of Product Management at Twitter, has confirmed the new feature among other changes.

"We're making some pretty big changes to the way conversations look and feel on Twitter, and we don't want to just unveil that one day and what if you don't like it or it's not working for you?," Haider had said.