Twitter has introduced Twitter Blue. Earlier this year, Twitter introduced its new subscription required feature in Australia and Canada. It is now available in the United States and New Zealand across iOS, Android, and the web. The subscription costs $2.99 a month for those in the US, and 4.49 for those in New Zealand.
Here is a list of Twitter Blue features:
Support a thriving free press: A portion of the revenue from Twitter Blue subscription fees goes directly to publishers within Twitter’s network. It appears that publishers that are viewable through Twitter Blue will show articles that are ad free. (Available on android and desktop only).
Top Articles: Subscribers can easily view the most-shared articles in their network over the last 24 hours, so they can immediately see what’s important in their community. Twitter says this gives subscribers a new and complementary way to catch up on the latest on Twitter. (Available on Android and desktop only).
Customization: Subscribers get exclusive app icons, colorful themes, (available on iOS only) and Bookmark folders. Twitter is also introducing Custom Navigation (available on iOS only), which gives subscribers the ability to customize what appears in their navigation bar for quick access to the Twitter destinations they care about most.
Undo Tweet: Subscribers can preview and perfect Tweets before they are sent. Subscribers also get access to Reader, which turns long threads into an easier-to-read experience. They can also change the text size within Reader.
I’d like to point out that being able to change the text size is something that should be available for everyone who uses Twitter. Hiding an accessibility feature behind a subscription paywall is unacceptable. It is cruel to offer what will be an extremely useful feature for people with low-vision or who are legally blind – and then prevent this group from accessing it unless they pay Twitter for it.
Twitter Blue Labs: Twitter is testing a feature called Blue Labs. Subscribers will get access to features Twitter is testing before non-subscribers can use them. Right now, subscribers will be able to upload videos of 10-minutes (as opposed to the standard 2 minutes for non-subscribers) via Longer Video Uploads (available on desktop only). Subscribers can also pin their favorite conversations to the top of their DMs with Pinned Conversations (available on iOS only).
Is it worth it to you to pay a subscription fee to get access to Twitter Blue? Android users may not think so because many of the subscription features are only for iOS or desktop. Those who primarily use Twitter on desktop will also miss out on some features. Those who use Twitter on iOS might choose to subscribe because they will be getting most of the Twitter Blue features.
Personally, don’t see any features in Twitter Blue that I would want badly enough to buy a subscription. I’m also skeptical about what “free press” sites Twitter would choose to include.