Twitter could soon let users hide unwanted replies to their tweets

Twitter could soon let users hide unwanted replies to their tweets in a bid to promote 'healthy' conversation on the platform

The 'Hide Tweets' feature would remove unwanted replies in a conversation
Users can still view all replies by clicking the 'View Hidden Tweets' option
Twitter employee confirmed it's developing the tool and will publicly test it soon
It comes as CEO Jack Dorsey has been trying to promote 'healthy' discourse

Published: 11:43 EST, 1 March 2019 | Updated: 11:46 EST, 1 March 2019

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Twitter is giving users greater control over how conversations develop around their tweets.

The social media giant confirmed it's testing a new 'Hide Tweet' feature that hides replies from other users, instead of blocking or muting them.

The tool was first spotted in the code of Twitter's Android application by software engineer Jane Manchun Wong.

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Twitter is giving users greater control over how conversations develop around their tweets. The firm is testing a 'Hide Tweets' feature that would hide replies from users

Michelle Yasmeen Haq, a senior product manager at Twitter, later confirmed that the company is developing the tool.

Screenshots show that users can access the tool by clicking on the menu button in a tweet.

From there, they'd select the 'Hide Tweet' button.

It doesn't mean the reply is permanently hidden, however. Users can view all replies in a conversation by clicking the 'View Hidden Tweets' button.

Haq said the feature, which will be publicly tested in the next few months, will give users more tools to moderate their own conversations.

'People who start interesting conversations on Twitter are really important to us, and we want to empower them to make the conversations they start as healthy as possible by giving them some control,' Haq wrote in a tweet.

The tool was first spotted in the code of Twitter's Android application by software engineer Jane Manchun Wong. A Twitter product manager later confirmed it was testing the feature

'...We already see people trying to keep their conversations healthy by using block, mute, and report, but these tools don't always address the issue.

'Block and mute only change the experience of the blocker, and report only works for the content that violates our policies,' she added.

Many pointed out that the 'Hide Tweets' tool could very easily be abused by users who aren't concerned with keeping the conversation healthy; instead, they could just be silencing someone they don't disagree with.

Haq said this concern should be alleviated by the fact that hidden tweets can still be viewed by anyone via the menu button.

'We think the transparency of the hidden replies would allow the community to notice and call out situations where people use the feature to hide content they disagree with,' she said.

'We think this can balance the product experience between the original Tweeter and the audience.'

Since last year, Twitter has been working to improve the 'health' of conversations on the platform, as a means of cracking down on abuse, trolls and hateful content.

The firm has also been inviting users to apply to become a part of a beta testing program for a new version of the Twitter app.

Twitter is testing a slew of new features to improve conversation on the site, including redesigned replies that appear similar to text messages, color coding to indicate replies from people who follow you and even a 'status update feature.'

CEO Jack Dorsey has also considered killing off the like button as a way to improve discourse on the platform.

IS TWITTER SET TO KILL OFF THE LIKE BUTTON?

Twitter could soon kill off the 'Like' button.

The social media giant said it's in the 'early stages' of considering whether or not to remove the like button, which appears as a heart icon, as part of an overall redesign of the platform.

It comes after CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly said at an event last week that he would get rid of the heart-shaped button 'soon,' according to the Telegraph.

But Twitter said the change may not be coming as soon as users think.

'As we've been saying for a while, we are rethinking everything about the service to ensure we are incentivizing healthy conversation, that includes the like button,' Twitter's communications unit said in a tweet.

'We are in the early stages of the work and have no plans to share right now.'

At the WIRED25 summit this month, Dorsey further detailed his thoughts on the like feature, saying he was unhappy with the 'big like button with the heart on it.'

Dorsey stopped short of saying the firm would remove the feature, however.

Some have noted that Twitter may get rid of the like button and, in its place, emphasize the 'Bookmark' feature rolled out earlier this year.