Twitter has announced that its 140 character limit will only count words from next week, the changes come into force on the 19th of September.
The changes to the Twitter 140 character limit mean that the company will no longer count photos, videos, quoted tweets, and more as part of the 140 characters.
Evolution of the Tweet
Over the past decade, the Tweet has evolved from a simple 140-character text message to a rich canvas for creative expression featuring photos, videos, hashtags, Vines, and more. In just the past few months, Twitter added the ability to poll your community, react quickly and cleverly with GIFs, and share and enjoy Periscope broadcasts in Tweets.
This evolution reflects Twitter’s commitment to enhancing user experience and enabling more dynamic interactions. The platform has grown from a microblogging site to a multimedia hub where users can share a variety of content types. This shift has been driven by user demand for more engaging and versatile ways to communicate.
Impact of the New Character Limit Rules
So, you can already do a lot in a Tweet, but we want you to be able to do even more. In the coming months, we’ll make changes to simplify Tweets including what counts toward your 140 characters, so for instance, @names in replies and media attachments (like photos, GIFs, videos, and polls) will no longer “use up” valuable characters.
This change is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it allows users to express themselves more fully without worrying about the constraints of the character limit. For example, a user can now include a photo or video in their Tweet without sacrificing any of their 140 characters for the accompanying text. This is particularly beneficial for businesses and influencers who rely on multimedia content to engage their audience.
Secondly, the exclusion of @names in replies from the character count makes conversations more fluid and less restrictive. Previously, lengthy usernames could take up a significant portion of the character limit, making it challenging to craft meaningful responses. This update will facilitate more natural and engaging interactions on the platform.
Moreover, the ability to include polls, GIFs, and other media without affecting the character count encourages users to utilize these features more frequently. Polls, for instance, are an excellent way to engage followers and gather opinions, while GIFs add a layer of humor and relatability to Tweets.
Over the past decade, the Tweet has evolved from a simple 140-character text message to a rich canvas for creative expression featuring photos, videos, hashtags, Vines, and more. In just the past few months we added the ability to poll your community, react quickly and cleverly with GIFs, and share and enjoy Periscope broadcasts in Tweets.
So, you can already do a lot in a Tweet, but we want you to be able to do even more. In the coming months we’ll make changes to simplify Tweets including what counts toward your 140 characters, so for instance, @names in replies and media attachments (like photos, GIFs, videos, and polls) will no longer “use up” valuable characters.
These changes are part of Twitter’s broader strategy to remain competitive in the social media landscape. By making the platform more user-friendly and versatile, Twitter aims to attract new users while retaining its existing user base. The company has been under pressure to innovate and grow its user numbers, and these updates are a step in that direction.
You can find out full details about the changes coming to Twitter over at their website at the link below.
Source Twitter
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