If it gets introduced, the “undo tweet” feature will be the tech gift of the year. Long awaited, Twitter is reportedly preparing the feature but it may just be available with a paid subscription.
That the feature is in the works, come via app researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who recently posted an image showing the option. It’s the only feature seen in Wong’s screenshot. The only confirmation comes in the way of an email from Twitter to Cnet.
Wong has said that the feature differs from deleting a tweet — something’s that is already there — in that undoing a tweet stops it from being sent at all. According to The Verge, the interface may show Twitter’s familiar ‘Your Tweet was sent’ option above the new “undo” button.
It could be something similar to what we have in Gmail. The site waits for a few seconds before delivering the message, during which you can undo the action. So, it’s not the edit button that people constantly ask for but at least get you some of the way to that functionality. If Twitter were to add an edit option, it may open up the platform to other concerns, like moderation.
Anyway, if the “undo” option does arrive, it is expected to be a part of a subscription tier. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Twitter is exploring paid subscriptions as a way to reduce its reliance on advertising revenue i
n response to competition from Facebook and Snapchat. Much of the platform’s revenue comes from targeted advertising but that business is growing at a slower pace.
Though subscriptions is a good way to move forward, social networks veer towards the free model to encourage user growth and engagement. According to Bloomberg, Twitter chief financial officer Ned Segal said on a call with investors last year that a subscription option of some kind would offer sales “durability,” and recurring revenue is more consistent than advertising spending.
Jane Manchun Wong is known for her tech skills. In 2020, she was among the first to spot Twitter’s Birdwatch initiative to allow users to root out misinformation on its service.