In what could be its own version of stories, social media platform Twitter is testing a new feature called ‘Fleets’. Fleets are tweets that disappear in 24 hours. One cannot retweet, like or reply to them publicly. Users can react to Fleets only through DMs. And like stories on Instagram, Fleets can be viewed by tapping on your picture.
Fleets have been rolled out in Brazil from March 4 as a test on Android and iOS.
Users will be able to add pictures, GIFs and videos to a Fleet.
“People often tell us that they don’t feel comfortable Tweeting because Tweets can be seen and replied to by anybody, feel permanent and performative (how many Likes & Retweets will this get!?). We’ve been listening to this feedback and working to create new capabilities that address some of the anxieties that hold people back from talking on Twitter. Today, in Brazil only, we’re starting a test (on Android and iOS) for one of those new capabilities. It’s called Fleets,” Kayvon Beykpour, product lead at Twitter said in a tweet.
Every day, people come to Twitter to see what’s happening. One of the unique things about Twitter is that “what’s happening” is fueled by people sharing their thoughts openly, through Tweets. But sharing your thoughts publicly can be intimidating!
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) March 4, 2020
He further added that while Fleets sound a lot like the Stories feature on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, there are a few intentional differences “to make the experience more focused on sharing and seeing people’s thoughts.”
According to a TechCrunch report, while a person can post multiple Fleets, a user will have to swipe down to view the next Fleet instead of moving horizontally with taps like it is on all the Facebook-owned apps. Twitter has reportedly said that these gestures could change based on feedback from users.
“We’re hoping that Fleets can help people share the fleeting thoughts that they would have been unlikely to Tweet. This is a substantial change to Twitter, so we’re excited to learn by testing it (starting with the rollout today in Brazil) and seeing how our customers use it,” Kayvon added.