Twitter Blue relaunched on Monday, and the subscription plan seems to be changing the very core of the platform.
After the drama instigated by the “Blue Checkmark” announcement, which entails that Twitter users will now be able to pay to be verified on the platform, the hustle and bustle shortly died down. However, after much speculation, the Twitter Blue subscription service was finally relaunched, and major changes were officially confirmed.
The Trouble with Twitter Checkmarks
Subscription to the Twitter Blue service includes adding a blue checkmark on your profile. Although not many details have been provided, it was announced that Twitter would be cracking down on fake profiles and reviewing every subscriber to Twitter Blue before confirming their blue checkmark. What will be reviewed, however, remains to be seen.
Rumors are circulating that the implementation of verified phone numbers will be necessary or that frequent account reviews will be conducted after users make changes to their profiles. While this is certainly possible, it seems tedious, begging the question of whether users will go through the trouble of verifying their accounts any longer or not.
Additionally, personal profiles will now be differentiated from business and government profiles by the type of checkmark they display. Businesses will be able to receive a gold checkmark, while government and multilateral accounts will be eligible for a grey checkmark.
It seems as if all these checkmark options and how users can come by them are drastically altering the social structure of Twitter as we now know it.
Features of the Twitter Blue Subscription
Subscribing to Twitter Blue will give users access to new features, some of which are already available.
The option to edit tweets and early access to select new features is highlighted, but Twitter blue is also set to support posting longer videos (and videos in 1080p).
As far as advertising goes, Twitter Blue subscribers will see half the ads if they pay up to be part of this elite crowd. Additionally, replies from these accounts will be prioritized in both “mentions” and “searches,” giving a significant boost to anyone seeking to benefit professionally from the platform.
Lastly, Elon Musk has been teasing the idea of lengthier writing on Twitter with plans to increase the maximum character count from 280 to 4,000. This may come as a pleasant surprise to some, but it raises the question of whether this will drive users that initially loved communication on the platform away or make them stay.
Twitter Blue's Unexpected Price List
Perhaps the most unexpected part of the Twitter Blue relaunch is the price list.
Subscribing to Twitter Blue directly via the website will cost $8 monthly. However, subscribing to the service via Twitter for iOS will carry a higher price point of $11 monthly.
Considering how many people use Apple products and the benefits that come from subscribing to Twitter Blue via iOS, such as not having to share your billing information with Twitter directly, this is a steep price difference for iOS users.
Although it is assumed that Elon Musk and Tim Cook have sorted out any differences of opinion they may have had, this could indicate that Twitter’s strategy is to offset newly increased App Store fees.
It remains to be seen whether these new elements will simply be something to get adjusted to, or whether Twitter alternatives will thrive with newfound popularity.
