Twitter announced on Tuesday that it was bringing its Twitter Circle feature to all users, allowing them to share specific tweets with specific users. The company first announced the feature in May, and it allows users to share tweets with up to 150 other users in a ‘Circle’ that are not visible to other users. Instagram’s Close Friends feature, which allows users to show stories to specific users, provides similar functionality.
The microblogging service revealed that its latest feature, which is now available to all users, will allow users to choose up to 150 users to be added to that user’s Circle. When user tweets, they have the option of sharing it with all of their followers, as a regular tweet, or with their Twitter Circle. Gadgets 360 confirmed that the feature was operational on iOS, Android, and Twitter’s website.
According to Twitter, the feature is intended to give users more control over who sees their tweets while also making them feel more comfortable tweeting. It also hopes to eliminate the need for secondary accounts by allowing users to tweet personal thoughts to their friends. According to the company, users can also avoid switching between protected and public account settings.
Twitter previously allowed users to restrict who could reply to their tweets, and the new Circle feature works in the same way — only members of a user’s Twitter Circle will be able to see and interact with these tweets. Instagram, which is owned by Meta, has a similar feature called Close Friends, which allows users to add some of their followers to a more selective list and share private stories with them.
“We want to help people break the ice, feel more comfortable Tweeting, and communicate privately with the people they choose.” We designed Twitter Circle with this in mind, and after testing and feedback, we’re releasing it to the public. “We will continue to build a healthier, more enjoyable Twitter so that everyone can participate in the public conversation on their own terms,” said Jay Sullivan, Twitter’s General Manager, Consumer and Revenue Product, in a prepared statement.