Twitter confirms undo tweet feature, but it could be paywalled
What's the story
The long-rumored undo tweet feature gets closer to reality. But there's some bad news. Noted app researcher Jane Manchun Wong has discovered more evidence hinting at the feature's impending release, but she also noticed a subscription screen tied to it. With CNET receiving confirmation from Twitter itself, there is no doubt that it is currently testing the feature, which will most likely be paywalled.
Twitter Post
Wong discovers feature locked behind membership
Twitter is working on app subscription for paid features like “Undo Tweet” https://t.co/CrqnzIPcOH pic.twitter.com/Ct16Gk2RL1
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) March 19, 2021
Potentially paywalled
Code cracker reveals undo tweet feature tied to membership model
We had reported about how Twitter is planning to monetize the platform, which follows Wong digging up code to discover a subscription screen showing some sort of a membership model. The undo tweet feature is clearly linked to the subscription service as per Wong's screenshot. This development makes sense since Twitter is likely to put the most requested feature behind a paywall.
Gauging limits
Twitter has been conducting surveys on paywalling of the feature
Twitter has been conducting user surveys hinting at the subscription model since last year. The surveys have asked users what features they would be willing to pay for, and undo tweets has figured in those surveys. It is unclear when Twitter will introduce the subscription model, but it is most likely happening this year since Twitter had referenced it during the last investor call.
Free market
Subscription model could incentivize Twitter to include edit tweet feature
While Twitter hinted at the undo tweets feature being paywalled, it hasn't officially made any announcements to that effect. Then again, the feature might not be ready enough for Twitter to make that call at the moment. This makes us wonder if the subscription service will encourage Twitter to consider implementing the edit tweet button. That is another feature people might pay for.
Know thy limits
Reminder: Undo tweet feature will not revoke published tweets
The undo tweet feature can't revoke tweets that have been published. It works similar to Gmail's undo send feature, where the email isn't actually sent out for a couple of seconds. The undo tweet feature includes a similar timer until which you can take the tweet back. However, tweets that have been successfully submitted can only be deleted and not taken back.