What is Twitter Circle and how to use the feature
What's the story
Twitter has seemingly started rolling out a new 'Circle' feature to more users. It allows you to send out tweets to a specific set of people rather than the whole platform. The company began testing it earlier this month with a limited number of people. The exclusive list can have up to 150 people, and you can even edit the list whenever you want.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Have any of you ever wondered how great it would be to tweet an inside joke to your mates without letting others see it? Well, if you have, you may want to update the Twitter app. Twitter Circle gives users the chance to make their tweets private. This feature may put a stop to people creating separate accounts to tweet privately.
How to
Access Twitter Circle while composing a tweet
To know whether you are one of the chosen ones to be part of Twitter Circle's initial testing, update the app or head to Twitter web. Now, compose a tweet. In that window, click on the drop down menu that reads 'Everybody.' From here, you can choose Twitter Circle. However, if you want to make any alterations to the list, click on 'Edit.'
User limit
Up to 150 people can be added to the list
Twitter Circle is similar to Instagram's 'Close Friends' feature. It gives users the chance to limit the audience for a particular tweet. Only 150 users can be added to the Circle list. People can be added or removed from the list anytime, but Twitter won't notify them of any such changes. The list can have users that follow you or those that don't.
Limited reach
Tweets to a Circle cannot be retweeted
Will users know that they are part of a Circle? Every Circle-only tweet will have a note appended stating, "Only people in @[yourusername]'s Twitter Circle can see this tweet." People in this exclusive list cannot retweet. However, they can still screenshot or download it. Twitter's community guidelines still apply to the exclusivity of Circle.
Availability
Twitter Circle is still in testing
It is unclear how many users have access to the Circle feature. However, it is still in testing phase. "We are still currently testing Twitter Circle with a group of people across iOS, Android and Web globally," Joseph Nunez, a Twitter spokesperson told The Verge. "The feature has not rolled out widely to everyone yet as we continue to gather feedback."