#TechBytes: What are Twitter Fleets, how to use them?
Microblogging giant Twitter has launched Fleets, its own version of Stories, in India. The feature, like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat Stories, lets you share content - what Twitter calls a "fleeting thought" - that disappears automatically after 24 hours. So, how to use these Fleets, and are they exactly similar to the ephemeral Stories shared on other platforms? Let's find out.
Most social media services use Stories as conversation starters - you share something interesting, something that you like, and others react or reply back, starting a conversation. Fleets also do the same thing, but they are being promoted as a "new way" to share your thoughts, be it in the form of an impermanent 280-character message, photo, video/GIF, with your followers.
Once you share an ephemeral Fleet, it will be shown to your followers through a timeline of Fleets appearing on top of their Twitter Home feed, without appearing anywhere else. But, that does not mean that Fleets are completely restricted to people following you; they are just less accessible. If your profile is public, any Twitter user can search you and view your Fleet.
Namaste! Starting today, Fleets are coming to India. If you’re in India, check it out and let us know what you think! #FleetsFeedback 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/U6QiHynm1U
— Kayvon Beykpour (@kayvz) June 9, 2020
What's perhaps the most unique thing about Fleets is that no viewer can publicly reply on or retweet/embed what you have shared. They would get two options: one to react with an emoji and another to reply with a personal message to start a private conversation around the Fleet. Now, this is new for Twitter which has always backed open conversations around publicly-shared content.
"We want to make it possible for you to have conversations in new ways with less pressure and more control, beyond tweets and direct messages," Mo Aladham, Twitter's Product Manager, had said while describing the thought process behind the feature.
To use Fleets, open the Twitter app on your phone and tap on your profile image at the top left corner of the Fleet bar. Then, write what you want to or add an image or GIF and hit the Fleet button to share it with your followers on Twitter. It is a new experience, but only if you have not used Stories elsewhere.
