Social media platform Twitter is testing out a new feature that will allow users to quote tweet with video reactions. Currently, this function only involves text reactions, which will soon become an “old-fashioned way”. It might not seem like something Twitter would do, but it was the same case with Fleets too. The tech giant has been conducting various experiments with different products for quite some time now. This new feature is also an experiment, and initially, it’s limited to iOS only. The company is calling this feature Tweet Takes.
Quote Tweet with Reaction Video or Picture
Presently, users can quote tweet with text only and retweet it on their timeline. The new feature will enable another option below these 2, allowing users to react to different tweets visually. It can be a photo or a short video like TikTok’s video replies. It can actually be fun if Twitter manages to pull it off smoothly. Product Manager Sam Haveson explained how users could share their take on a particular tweet more expressively.
Some iOS users might have already received the update. They can test out the feature by choosing “Quote tweet with reaction” from the ‘retweet’ menu. They can share a photo or a video, and the original tweet will appear on the top in a card shape.
Creator-friendly Features
This new quote tweet feature is certainly similar to the reaction-video-style TikTok uses. It also allows the other user’s original video or comment, along with reactions. Twitter has never encouraged these kinds of interactions before, but recently, it has been taking steps to introduce features that mainly serve content creators. The platform empowers creators to connect with the audience directly, discover trends and emerging content, and build communities present only on Twitter. So, it’s not surprising to see it add a feature that took TikTok to new heights of popularity.
More Interactive and Alive…and Risky?
The video and photo reactions on tweets will make the platform feel much more alive. Users would be able to see real people speaking through the videos rather than just written words. However, it can also be prone to some criticism because of the opportunity it provides to harassers and bullies. Quote tweets are already being used to do that, and video reactions can amplify that behaviour. The same thing happened with Fleets too, when abusers used someone’s fleet in their own tweets and directed their followers to harass them. Users also faced so many issues with Fleets that the company decided to retire it for good. It is unclear if this feature would stick because Twitter’s experiments usually do not make it past the testing phase.
