Twitter Launched Copycat Feature From Tiktok, Again
Twitter Launched Copycat Feature From Tiktok, Again
Users can now choose between Twitter-recommended feed and chronological feed, with the former being the default every time they open the app.
Back in March 2022, Twitter rolled out the “Home” and “Latest tweets” timelines which allow users to swipe between unfollowed accounts, trendy topics, and accounts they follow, with an option to pin the timeline they prefer by tapping the star icon on the top left corner. Starting from January 2023, the two timelines will be renamed “For you” and “Following”, the pin option will disappear and the “For you” feed will be the default. Undoubtedly, this feature is a copycat from the “For You” and “Following” page on TikTok. TikTok has been known for its smart algorithm which suggests video that users may be interested in based on the content they interact with on the app. Because TikTok keeps feeding users what they like, on average users stay on TikTok for 95 minutes per day (Q2 2022), compared to only 29 minutes on Twitter.
With this update, no doubt Twitter is trying to keep users engaged and thus stay on the app longer. However, whether Twitter’s algorithm is smart enough to feed users the content they like and potentially engage remains a question.
This is not the first time Twitter copies a feature from TikTok. In September 2022, Twitter announced it would roll out Immersive viewing video which allows videos to be expanded to full-screen mode. Not only that but users would also be able to discover new videos in an endlessly scrolling carousel. While TikTok is renowned for its authentic, entertaining content, Instagram Reels is known for aesthetically curated videos and Youtube Shorts is a messy hot pot, it’s too soon to conclude what color Twitter videos will stand for. “We want to make it easy for everyone to use our service in the way that best fits their needs, and videos (including fun movie teasers) an important part of that,” said Twitter in a blog post