Twitter launches prototype app, 'twttr,' to improve conversations
Users chosen for the program are encouraged to share their thoughts on test features.
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Twitter on Monday launched its prototype app, "twttr," which lets testers try out new features and provide feedback. Twttr is the social network's original name.
The Twitter Prototype Program will try to make conversations easier to find and follow. Users can apply to join the program on Twitter's site. They'll get an email within a few weeks about their application status.
Those who are chosen for the program are asked to use twttr as their primary Twitter app, according to a series of screenshots posted by social media consultant Matt Navarra. They're also encouraged to tweet screenshots about the new features they're testing with the hashtag #LetsHaveAConvo, and to share their honest feedback with Twitter through a form.
The social media company has been exploring the idea of adding color to replies so that a user who posts an initial tweet will see their responses in grey while replies from followers will be in blue. Twitter has also been considering a new design for replies, such as making them look more round so conversions appear "chat-like."
Some of the features being tested might not be released to the public, or they could change, the company has said. If a feature is successful in testing, it might not be available to the public for months. Twitter has also said that most participants in the prototype program will be English or Japanese speakers.