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Twitter is killing off its Discover tab

Twitter is killing off its Discover tab

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The company has new plans for how to cure the Twitter quitter

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Does your Twitter app look a little different today? That's because, as Twitter announced in a blog post this afternoon, it's putting its Discover tab out to pasture. The feature was a favorite of co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, but has been stagnant for some time. Twitter says it will focus instead on Recaps and MagicRecs.

Recaps is the selection of tweets marked "While You Were Away" that pops up when you open the app. It's a peek at what has been trending on your network. MagicRecs provides recommendations of what to read and who to follow. Twitter has also put a lot of focus into perfecting the new user experience, suggesting which accounts people should follow when they first arrive to help them avoid the confusion that has curbed its growth.

Twitter will also try to provide better explanation and context for users who are coming across trending topics. "We know that trends aren’t always self-explanatory, so now you’ll see a description below each trend," the company wrote on its blog. "Since trends tend to be abbreviations without context, like #NYFW, a description will make it clear that this trend is about New York Fashion Week. The new trends experience may also include how many Tweets have been sent and whether a topic is trending up or down."

The company will announce its quarterly earnings later this month. Its stock has struggled, with Wall Street investors concerned over its lack of user growth. In recent weeks rumors have swirled that Google may be contemplating a takeover bid. It's clear Twitter is trying to shake things up on the product side as it looks for renewed momentum.

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