Some say the best things in life are free, but often better things come with a monthly subscription.
With the release of Twitter Blue—an enhanced version of the platform accessible only to subscribers—comes a lot of questions. What is it? What does it do? And is Twitter really worth paying for? While we don’t have all the answers, we can address the important questions.
The service is still in its infancy, and the company hasn’t rolled out all of the planned features yet, but the initial release does have some tools worth exploring. Are you curious about Twitter Blue? If so, read on, because we’re subscribed and ready to give the rundown.
Twitter Blue features
Twitter wouldn’t have the gall to ask you for money if it didn’t have something to offer. While some subscriber tools are interesting, others are a little underwhelming. Current Twitter Blue features include:
- Undo tweet
- Top Articles
- Bookmark folders
- Ad-free articles
Let’s discuss each of these features in more detail.
Twitter Blue Undo Tweet
With a Twitter Blue subscription, you gain the ability to undo a tweet after you hit send. When you press the Tweet button, a countdown starts—the time of which you can adjust under Feature Settings—giving you a chance to preview, edit, or ditch the tweet when necessary.
Currently, the available timer settings are 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds. The five-second countdown is ideal for those who enjoy stressful situations. But if you’re less reckless than that, you can set your timer to 60 seconds and enjoy the subscriber safety net. You’ll find the relevant settings in Settings > Twitter Blue > Undo Tweet.
Twitter Blue Top Articles
When you subscribe to Twitter Blue, a Top Articles entry will appear in your main menu. Top articles are your network’s most shared pieces within the last 24 hours, and the feed allows you to easily see what’s trending and relevant.
Many subscribers will welcome this new addition, as the feature lessens the need for endless scrolling to find out what’s hot.
Twitter Blue bookmark folders
Twitter now provides a way to organize your bookmarks using folders. If you have a Blue subscription, you can create new folders from the bookmarks menu on your mobile device. Saving a tweet will also prompt you to store it in a specified location.
Right now, you’re unable to view or access your folders on the web app, but hopefully, that feature comes soon. Until then, the mobile application gets the job done.
Twitter Blue ad-free articles
Ad-free articles allow publishers to make money from content shared on the platform. The feature basically lets you, as a subscriber, access a site’s content without pesky ads getting in the way, with a portion of your subscription going to the publisher.
On Twitter, eligible articles will display a small Ad-free with Twitter Blue banner at the bottom of the tweet. So far, only a small selection of publishers have joined the program. However, as the pool of content providers grows, access to a sizable selection of ad-free content will start to seem attractive.
How to subscribe to Twitter Blue
Subscribing to Twitter Blue is easy enough for anyone with a credit card, a working mobile device or web browser, and $2.99 in the bank. The subscription process is similar on all devices.
UPDATE 7/29/2022 9:30 AM ET: Twitter raised the price of Twitter Blue to $4.99 a month. The price change goes into effect immediately for new subscribers.
Subscribe to Twitter Blue with a web browser
To subscribe to Twitter Blue using a browser, follow these steps:
Go to twitter.com and login if necessary
Click the More (…) menu on the left side and select Twitter Blue
Follow the prompts and enter payment details
Click Subscribe
And there you have it, a quick guide to setting up Twitter Blue through a web browser.
Subscribe to Twitter Blue on a mobile device
To subscribe to Twitter Blue using the mobile app and Android and iOS, follow these steps:
- Launch the Twitter application
- Tap the Profile menu
- Select Twitter Blue
- Follow the prompts and enter payment details
- Hit Subscribe
Is Twitter Blue worth the money?
If you’re a heavy Twitter user, and the new subscriber features sing to you, the upgrade may be worth the coin. For the average consumer, justifying the expense will be a tougher sell.
While some of the new tools are useful, many—like bookmark folders and undoing a tweet—hardly seem like premium features. The real meat of the service is in the way it delivers news.
The addition of a Top Articles feed and ad-free content will appeal to many and might just make the price worth the payoff.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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