Twitter Retweet Icon No More? Social Media Platform Tests New Mobile App Design, Removes Retweet Button
Staff ReporterAs one of the more popular, widely-used social media platforms this generation, Twitter - and all the slang that comes with its use - has become an acceptable part of our vocabulary. Words like tweeting and retweeting are right up there, alongside YouTuber and Instagram it, as conventional phrases in everyday conversation.
But for reasons beyond us, Twitter is in the process of redesigning their mobile app, and the look they're testing now is Twitter without the retweet button. Is that even possible?
Evidently it is, or so Tech Crunch reports. In a bid to get more people to use Twitter (because evidently there aren't enough users yet), the company is thinking of replacing its classic "retweet" button for a more conventional "share" option. They're also thinking of phasing out the 'reply to tweet' arrow with a more universally recognized 'comment' bubble or speech bubble.
It may seem unnecessary to touch something so iconic that it's worked itself in to daily, usable lingo, but critics argue that Twitter-specific concepts and icons are actually what stop people from trying out the app completely. The confusion of navigating around unfamiliar apps and the dreaded learn-through-doing period (where the possibility of publicly embarrassing yourself is significantly high) can turn people off from signing up for a Twitter account.
The social network explained that they're looking into how tweaking the design would potentially affect user behavior. According to Ad Week, a Twitter spokesperson said - via email - that they're "testing new icons on Tweets to evaluate how this impacts the way that people use Twitter."
Instead of the standard retweet icon (two angled arrows pointing in opposite directions), the new design features a circle with an arrow inside. Clicking on that will bring up a list of sharing options, including 'retweet,' 'quote tweet,' 'send by direct message,' and 'share tweet.' No word yet as to whether these changes will affect all Twitter users or a randomized selection. Whether they choose to stick to the new design or continue tweaking it also remains to be seen.
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