New Twitter Blue subscription could cost $2.99 per month
In March, we reported that microblogging giant Twitter could give users an undo tweet feature to reconsider tweets before posting. The platform was also mulling ways to monetize the service with premium features. It looks like the premium features could be bundled into a subscription called Twitter Blue. The latest development was spotted by reputed application decoder Jane Manchun Wong. Here are more details.
- New features suggest Twitter wants to reduce ad revenue dependency
- Twitter Blue subscribers could unlock ability to bookmark tweets
- Casual Twitter users may not find Blue subscription benefits attractive
- Twitter's Scroll acquisition could translate into ad-free Blue subscription tier
- No launch timeline confirmed for Twitter Blue, rumored features
New features suggest Twitter wants to reduce ad revenue dependency
In March, Wong spotted a button animation for undoing tweets. The button would let you reconsider your tweet for few seconds before it was posted, like Gmail's undo send. Twitter has tried to reduce dependency on advertiser revenue with alternatives such as Super Follow and Tip Jar. Twitter Blue could become the first social media subscription service offering convenience-oriented features for a recurring fee.
Twitter Blue subscribers could unlock ability to bookmark tweets
Wong observed that besides undo tweet, Twitter Blue subscribers could possibly use Collections to curate tweets in separate folders. Over the years, Twitter users have requested their beloved platform to include essentials such as a search bar for DMs on the platform. Reportedly, Collections is also one such feature. Notably though one can achieve similar functionality for free using Pocket or Google Keep.
Casual Twitter users may not find Blue subscription benefits attractive
According to The Verge, Twitter Blue could be a tiered subscription model where the company offers a clutter-free "premium" experience for the highest-paying subscribers. Wong reported that Twitter Blue could be priced at $2.99 per month for now. Although the fee seems reasonable, Twitter could have a hard time selling Blue to the casual user.
Twitter's Scroll acquisition could translate into ad-free Blue subscription tier
Wong noted that the day Twitter acquired Scroll, the company's then-CEO and now Twitter product team member Tony Haile tweeted that Scroll would "integrate into a broader Twitter subscription later in the year." Since Scroll was a $5 per month subscription that removed ads from partner websites, it's reasonable to conclude that Twitter's upcoming membership plans could offer an ad-free experience.
No launch timeline confirmed for Twitter Blue, rumored features
The microblogging site declined Engadget's request for comment. It also did not officially commit to a release timeline for the new features or the Twitter Blue subscription. However, Twitter posted a substantial 20 percent jump in the number of monetizable daily active users in April. We believe the statistic is just another sign suggesting that Twitter Blue could be revealed soon.
