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Twitter accidentally tells all iOS users they can limit replies to their tweets

Twitter accidentally tells all iOS users they can limit replies to their tweets

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Twitter says it accidentally issues incorrect release notes

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

An update to Twitter’s iOS app on Wednesday said the app would now let all users to limit who can reply to their tweets, but it turns out the company may have jumped the gun.

Twitter has been experimenting with this feature since May, and yesterday pushed an update to the iPhone version of its mobile app suggesting the feature would be more widely rolling out. A Twitter spokesperson now tells The Verge it accidentally pushed incorrect release notes; the feature is not in fact more widely rolling out, for now.

Alas, the release notes were wrong

“In May, we tested a new way to have a chat with exactly who you want, so you can create and consume more meaningful changes,” read the update text on the App Store. “Now, everyone can try this new feature and choose who can reply to their tweets.”

A Twitter spokesperson says the misconception was due “to some accidentally pushed release notes,” and that “the ability to limit replies on tweets is not currently available to everyone.” It’s not clear then whether the feature has been expanded in any meaningful fashion with the latest update, but Twitter appears to still be testing reply limiting before making the feature available to more users.

If you do have access, users can use the feature by simply tapping the box above the keyboard when composing a tweet that says “Everyone can reply.” They can then choose between three options: everyone can reply to their tweet, only people they follow can reply, and only people they mention can reply. Choosing one option doesn’t make that the default for future tweets.

How the new feature looks on the iOS Twitter app.
How the new feature looks on the iOS Twitter app.
Image: The Verge

The feature has been one of Twitter’s more interesting changes in recent months, creating new memes and ways to talk on the platform. Reply limiting can be a great way to avoid harassment, but it can also be used to limit conversations in a way that feels counterintuitive to Twitter’s most basic functions.

Correction: A previous version of this article cited release notes from Twitter stating that its reply-limiting feature had been enabled for all users. Twitter informed us after publication that its release notes were incorrect. This story has been updated to include Twitter’s correction.