What you need to know
- Twitter is testing a new feature that will warn users when a conversation might get intense.
- The prompt will remind users to communicate respectfully within a potentially headed topic.
- It will appear for Twitter users on iOS and Android, and the company will continuously update criteria.
Twitter's latest move to help encourage better engagement on the app involves warning users against engaging with certain conversations.
The company announced the new feature for iOS and the best Android phones on Wednesday. The prompt will warn users when a certain conversation might lead to a heated or intense discussion.
When clicking on the prompt, it will pull up guidelines to help users navigate the conversation respectfully.
Ever want to know the vibe of a conversation before you join in? We're testing prompts on Android and iOS that give you a heads up if the convo you're about to enter could get heated or intense.
This is a work in progress as we learn how to better support healthy conversation. pic.twitter.com/x6Nsn3HPu1Ever want to know the vibe of a conversation before you join in? We're testing prompts on Android and iOS that give you a heads up if the convo you're about to enter could get heated or intense.
This is a work in progress as we learn how to better support healthy conversation. pic.twitter.com/x6Nsn3HPu1— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) October 6, 2021October 6, 2021
The feature was teased in late September along with several other features and initiatives that the platform is testing and rolling out.
Social media can be a rough place to navigate, and Twitter has been on a mission to help users Tweet and engage more. Keeping users away from heated conversations could be one way to encourage a safer space for users to feel more comfortable.
It's unclear how Twitter determines when to show this prompt, but it notes that it may not always get it right.
The criteria we use to determine which conversations will show this prompt may change as we learn from this test.We may consider the Tweet topic and the relationship between the Tweet author and replier.
Recently, Twitter launched Communities, which functions like Facebook Groups, allowing users to join in on topics they like, including space, crypto, skincare, and more.
These spaces should help to encourage more healthy engagement between users with similar interests, although for now, Communities are invite-only.
