Twitter Testing Doubling Character Limit Of Tweets To 280

Twitter is known for allowing users to post short status updates with bite-sized pieces of information. However over the years we’ve started to see Twitter expand on tweets where they are finding ways to allow users to post tweets that go beyond the 140 character limit, such as no longer counting user names.

It also appears that Twitter could be testing out a tweetstorm feature for its app which lets users post walls of continuous text in one go. However if you’re wondering why doesn’t Twitter just expand the character limit instead of finding such workarounds, you’ll be pleased to learn that is exactly what is happening. The company has recently announced that they will be testing out allowing a small group of users post tweets with a maximum character limit of 280 characters, which is double the current amount allowed.

According to Twitter, this is because they want users to be able to express themselves with their tweets, and cite examples of how tweets in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese can convey messages better because a single character could say a lot more compared to the English language.

“Our research shows us that the character limit is a major cause of frustration for people Tweeting in English, but it is not for those Tweeting in Japanese. Also, in all markets, when people don’t have to cram their thoughts into 140 characters and actually have some to spare, we see more people Tweeting – which is awesome!” No word on when this feature will be rolled out to all users, but if you’re one of those frustrated by the character limits, then this should be welcome news.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Twitter