Twitter’s huge UI update ditches old reply button, adds realtime stats

Twitter has today unveiled its brand new user interface for mobile devices and desktop.

The subtle update comes after the company refreshed its brand and mission statement back in July 2016.

So fresh. So clean. So live.

Check out our new look. 👀👇https://t.co/ClWbwi8CEH pic.twitter.com/nR27POQkEi

— Twitter (@Twitter) June 15, 2017

“Today, with lots of feedback and ideas from you, we’re refreshing our product too and making it feel lighter, faster, and easier to use. We listened closely and kept what you love. And for the things you didn’t, we took a new approach to fix and make better,” notes Grace Kim, Twitter’s VP of user research & design in a blog post.

For those worried, Twitter still looks very much like Twitter. However, certain key elements have been addressed.

The update places a greater emphasis on minimalism and simplicity with a neatened profile page slide-out. The menu now also includes commonly-visited menu items like additional accounts, settings, and privacy.

“A new side navigation menu and fewer tabs at the bottom of our app = less clutter and easier browsing,” Kim continues, noting that this change is now coming to iOS too.

https://blog.twitter.com/content/dam/blog-twitter/official/en_us/products/2017/check-out-our-new-look/Check-new-look-iOS%20Refresh%20Full%20Walkthrough.gif

These changes also meet bolder headlines across the app, more distinguishable typography and more acute profile pictures. Icons have also experienced a tweak.

“[P]eople thought the reply icon, an arrow, meant delete or go back to a previous page,” Kim reveals.

“We switched to a speech bubble, a symbol most know and love. We also made the icons lighter for more seamless interaction.”

Twitter’s new aesthetic puts tweets front and centre, while cleaning up other UI clutter

Finally, in one of the only functional updates, all tweet statistics within the apps will become live tickers, updating in realtime.

“Tweets now update instantly with reply, Retweet, and like counts so you can see conversations as they’re happening – live.”

Product manager Patrick Traughber explained that the update should be live in “the next few hours”.

it will be available on Android, iOS, mobile web, and desktop web over the next few hours

— Patrick 📱📡 🌎 (@ptraughber) June 15, 2017

Kim noted that more updates are on the way.