Twitter is finally launching a test of an edit button, the most highly-requested feature from users and Elon Musk alike.
In the initial test run, employees will be able to edit posts “a few times in the first 30 minutes following their publication,” the company explained in a Thursday morning blog entry. An icon, time stamp and label will appear to denote that the tweet has been updated, with an option to view its complete Edit History, including past versions of the tweet.
“Think of it as a short period of time to do things like fix typos, add missed tags, and more,” the blog explained, adding: “For context, the time limit and version history play an important role here. They help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said.”
Later this month, Twitter Blue subscribers will receive early access to the feature. The test will be “localized to a single country at first” – no word on which one yet.
Twitter first announced the addition of an edit button on April 5, a day after Elon Musk became the company’s largest shareholder with a 9.2% stake. On April 4, Musk had posted a poll asking if users wanted an edit button feature, to which 73.6% of respondents answered “yes.” The company later denied that the idea came from “a poll,” writing that an edit feature had been in the works for years.
According to the blog post, the goal of the new feature is to make tweeting feel “more approachable and less stressful.”
“You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you, and we’ll keep working on ways that make it feel effortless to do just that,” it continued.
Read the full announcement here.
