What you need to know
- Twitter has found that it is working on a new test drive feature.
- The new beta test allows users to “try Twitter” and try out the platform without registering an account.
- It is a limited test drive experience that enables users to follow and read the tweets.
Twitter is working on a new experience that allows people to follow users and read tweets without creating an account, effectively allowing users to “try Twitter” before committing.
The test was spotted by security researcher Jane Manchun Wong on Twitter, showing off this new experiment. The splash screen Wong shares shows a new login page with the new “Try Twitter” button, while a typical “Sign up or login” link can be found at the bottom.
Twitter is testing “Try Twitter,” allowing people to follow and read tweets in the mobile app without having an account. This test engine is public and requires customization. Most other actions like retweet, like, bookmark and tweet still require registration/login pic.twitter.com/Sj0axwyXGo28 July 2022
The splash screen also indicates that users can participate in the trial for a limited time. However, even without an account, testing requires collecting some data to create a personalized experience for users wanting to try out Twitter. These users will likely enable the “Personalize based on places you’ve visited” toggle.
Enabling the toggle will allow Twitter to collect a user’s geolocation when trying out the new feature. Once inside, you can still find the traditional sidebar, which shows the various navigation options. However, many measures, including the ability to tweet, will still require users to register or log in, Wong suggests.
Laura Burkhauser, Twitter’s chief product officer, explained that the new test drive is to give people an easy way to experience Twitter firsthand, such as exploring a timeline or following someone without having an account. According to Burkhauser, the experiment is tested in multiple forms.
Not everyone is ready to sign up for an account the first time they try Twitter. Our team wants to give people an easy way to read tweets and experience having a timeline. It is an experience and still the best performer. LMK if you have feedback (but you will need to create an account first) https://t.co/2kJe5gvRNG28 July 2022
I also made it clear that the first iteration of a new practice does not necessarily have new features and is very basic. However, it is subject to change based on feedback obtained during a test drive. It also hints that there might be room for improvement and to give users a pre-optimized experience without logging into the app.
With all the new features that have been rolled out on Twitter and the different experiences coming to the platform, Twitter can potentially be overwhelming for newcomers. This new test drive may be a convenient way to help people get used to the platform before joining.
In other news, Twitter’s latest earnings for the second quarter of 2022 showed another increase in the number of daily active users on the platform amid the Elon Musk acquisition deal, which means that the platform does not appear to have trouble attracting users. However, the company reported a decline in revenue, which indicates that it may need to figure out how to increase monetization from existing and new users.