Twitter confirms it is “working on an edit feature”

Finally, Twitter has confirmed that it is working on an ‘edit’ feature, which the company claims wasn’t an April Fools’ prank. In the Tweet thread, the company announced that it will soon start experimenting with an edit button, but only on its monthly subscription service at first. “We’re kicking off testing within @TwitterBlue Labs in the coming months to learn what works, what doesn’t, and what’s possible,” the company said.

With an “edit” feature, Twitter users will be able to correct any mistakes or errors in a tweet. This doesn’t affect the number of replies, retweets, or likes. The company has stated its plans to begin testing the feature with Twitter Blue subscribers in “the coming months”.

So far, Twitter has demonstrated an unusual readiness to modify its platform in response to user criticism, so it will be intriguing to see what happens when the test begins in earnest. Editing tweets is a hot-button issue, but it’s difficult to tell what the majority of people really want. Editing tweets on Twitter has long been a wish of some power users, but others fear adding to the already difficult task of policing disinformation and harassment.

The company has previously played down its interest in allowing users to edit their tweets, stating that the feature isn’t a major priority. Even if Twitter has changed dramatically since the days of CEO Jack Dorsey, it’s still a social media network that isn’t quite as fast-paced today as it was when he was in charge.

Over the last two years, Twitter has developed a variety of new products.  In November 2020, it launched Fleets, an experimental disappearing tweet service, although it lasted less than a year. Twitter Blue is the company’s premium monthly membership service, and subscribers have early access to features before they’re made public. The company already has an undo feature that lets you recall a tweet before you send it.

Note that features in Twitter Blue Labs change over time. Some may be removed, become available to all Twitter accounts, or released for subscribers only. Check your settings often to see what’s new.