Twitter Testing Facebook-Like Status Feature With Emoji for Limited Time: Report

Twitter has been spotted working on a new Status feature by a few users in the US and Australia. The new feature, which is currently under development, allows Twitter users to assign one of several predetermined labels to their tweets. Twitter confirmed to a publication that the company is testing the feature on the microblogging platform for a limited time. Reportedly, there are no custom status emojis allowed. The feature appears similar to Facebook’s older status feature which allowed users to create a post by adding pre-written labels and text of their choice.

Twitter users started posting tweets with the new Status feature with one user posting a set of photos showing what it looks like. There is a list of predefined labels which contain an emoji and a short description. These include A Thread, Hot Take, Vacation Mode, Soon, and Travelling, among others. Tapping a predefined status will reportedly return other tweets containing those same words — similar to hashtags on the platform and on Instagram.

Twitter confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing this feature for a limited time with a select group in Australia and the US but did not reveal the size of the group. “For a limited time, we are testing a feature that allows you to add a status topic from a predetermined list to your Tweets to provide more context for your followers. So whether you are about to drop a hot Tweet thread, share your shower thoughts, or have a bad case of the Mondays, your Tweets can better convey what you are up to.”

It is to be noted that the Status feature was first brought to light by known reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong. She shared a screenshot of the feature being tested as well and said the feature is codenamed “Vibe”.

These under-testing statuses and emojis appear underneath the Twitter user’s name and only applies to one tweet. The feature could help users save characters while composing a tweet. The company is yet to reveal when the feature will roll out to all users.