Twitter users were in an uproar this weekend when rumors emerged that Twitter Inc. would be changing its timeline this week. The rumors sparked the introduction of #RIPTwitter, which became a very popular hashtag over the days that followed.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey attempted to quell users’ frustration and concerns with the announcement on Sunday, February 7 that the company would not be reordering timelines this week.

However, this promise was short-lived and just four days after Dorsey’s tweet, Twitter launched its new algorithmic timeline.

Since the announcement of the new Twitter timeline on Wednesday, February 10, the outcry and complaints about the new feature have continued and regular Twitter users are upset.

This article covers details about the new automated Twitter timeline and what tweets you will actually see in this new section. In addition, we look at how you go about opting in, on iOS, Android, and desktop, to see whether you might actually like the new feature.

Twitter’s new timeline, what is it all about?

Twitter is introducing a new algorithm that will show you a collection of the best tweets that you would have missed while you were away from Twitter. These tweets will be shown at the top of your timeline, whether you are logged in via the Twitter app or on the web.

Once you scroll past this top section, you will be able to see the same chronological order of spontaneous tweets on your Twitter timeline that you so enjoy. While there is not a clear design marker splitting the two sections, a look at the time stamps will let you know when the chronological tweets take over. Twitter’s VP of revenue product, Ameet Ranadive told Marketing Land, “We wanted to keep the natural feel of the timeline.”

The new top section of your Twitter timeline showing you the best tweets that you missed is similar to the ‘While you were away’ feature that the company launched a year ago. Ranadive said, “While you were away laid the foundation for this change. We saw those changes drove improvements in engagement rates, and we have been tweaking how we determine what Tweets to feature with this new iteration of the timeline.”

What you will see in the new automated section of your timeline

To determine what will appear in this section for you, Twitter will look at how you interact with tweets, at your past behavior, the accounts you interact and engage with and your interests, among other criteria.

The tweets that show up in your automated timeline will only be from people that you currently follow. Twitter’s blog states the section will contain, “Tweets that are important to them [you] — from their favorite athletes, musicians, politicians, or brands.” However, it will not only be important figures that feature in this section. Based on your engagement etc. it is possible that a tweet from any account could make an appearance in the automated timeline.

The automated timeline is supposed to show you the best tweets that you missed since you last logged in. However, in order to keep the tweets relevant, the company is unlikely to go too far back if it has been a while since you were on Twitter.

The number of tweets shown in this section will depend on the amount of the best tweets that you missed; however, Ranadive explained that your automated timeline would contain “on average about a dozen tweets.”

Similar to how ads appear in your regular chronological timeline, there will also be ads displayed in the new automated timeline.

Opt-in now; get ready to opt-out later

Twitter has started rolling out the new timeline to users. At this stage, it is still an optional feature and will not display as default. This is likely to change over the coming weeks, when the feature will rather become opt-out.

When you log into Twitter for the first time, since the change, you will receive a prompt to turn on the feature in Settings if you so desire.

iOS Twitter users

In the iOS Twitter app > tap the gear icon > tap Settings > select the relevant account. Tap Timeline > Timeline personalization > tick the Show me the best Tweets first box.

Android Twitter users

In the Android Twitter app > tap Settings under the overflow icon (three dots) > Timeline > tick the Show me the best Tweets first box.

Desktop Twitter users

If you are not logged in already, log into your Twitter account on your desktop > click on Settings > Account > Timeline > tick the Show me the best Tweets first box.

The coming weeks will give us an indication of whether Twitter users love or hate the new feature, especially when the company make it an opt-out feature, rather than opt-in. Until that stage, you can enjoy your Twitter timeline as per normal or opt-in for the new feature to see if there is anything to love about it.

Image credit: keiyac, Flickr