Twitter is rolling out its own version of Instagram stories - here's why

Social network Twitter has introduced a new feature which lets users share posts which will then disappear within 24 hours.

Named ‘Fleets,’ the new feature will allow people on Twitter to post text, images and videos which their followers can interact with privately, but will disappear automatically after a day.

How will it work?

This style of temporary posting was first utilised by Snapchat, then on Instagram, with the ‘Stories’ feature.

Users can choose to post text, reactions to tweets with the tweet attached, photos or videos, as well as the ability to customise them with background and text options.

Fleets - as in “fleeting” or “short-lived” - appear along the top of timelines, rather than in the main Twitter feed, and replies are not public. People can only reply to your fleets if you follow them, or if your direct messages are open.

The company says it thinks the format will encourage people to use the site in a less pressurised way.

What is it for?

The official Twitter account shared a video announcing the new feature, saying it is for “that thing you didn’t Tweet but wanted to but didn’t but got so close but then were like nah.”

The feature has been tested in a number of other countries over the last year, before being rolled out globally this week on Android and iOS.

Writing in a blog post, Joshua Harris, Twitter’s director of design, and Sam Haveson, product manager, said, “Through our tests in Brazil, Italy, India, and South Korea, we learned Fleets helped people feel more comfortable joining the conversation - we saw people with Fleets talk more on Twitter.

“Those new to Twitter found Fleets to be an easier way to share what’s on their mind. Because they disappear from view after a day, Fleets helped people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings.”

“We’ve learned that some people feel more comfortable joining conversations on Twitter with this ephemeral format, so what they’re saying lives just for a moment in time.”

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