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Twitter is testing out a breaking news tab in its mobile apps

Twitter is testing out a breaking news tab in its mobile apps

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An experiment before Project Lightning strikes

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Twitter has indicated that it's going to get into the news game in a big way, and today it looks like the company is making its latest attempt at serving its users timely and relevant news content — as reported by BuzzFeed and confirmed by Twitter, the company is rolling out a "news" tab that'll appear in its iOS and Android apps. Screenshots from BuzzFeed show it appearing in the iOS app's bottom navigation bar, right between notifications and messages. A Twitter spokesperson gave us the following statement: "We're experimenting with a news experience on iOS and Android as we continue to explore new ways to surface the best content to users."

When you click the news tab, you'll be presented with trending stories that appear to be curated from major news organizations like CBS News and The New York Times. Tapping on one of the stories brings you to a view that shows off the beginning of a news story (with a link to tap for the full article) as well as top related tweets. Conceptually, it doesn't feel wildly different than what Twitter attempted with its old "Discover" tab or the current interface when you tap the search bar, but it's definitely more single-purpose — something that might help give Twitter a more easily explained headlining feature. Alongside the upcoming "Project Lightning" feed, which will let users follow events as well as people, Twitter is increasing its focus around news and events as they happen.

It's unclear exactly when you might start seeing this feature, however. It's live for both iOS and Android users in Japan, but there's no word on exactly where and when it'll roll out to others. As for the content, it's being tested with a handful of partners for now, but it seems likely that list will grow when the news tab has a more formal launch.