Article Summary
- Elon Musk said Twitter will soon roll out voice and video features to allow users to make calls on the platform.
- He also announced a new feature that lets users choose almost any emoji to react to a direct message in a conversation.
- Earlier, Musk said Twitter will also be removing inactive accounts on the platform, which will affect the followers count of users.
Twitter owner, Elon Musk, has announced plans to introduce voice and video call features on the microblogging site. This development will challenge the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram and other social media platforms currently offering the services.
The announcement came as Twitter introduced a new feature that lets users choose almost any emoji to react to a direct message in a conversation. Musk in a tweet on Wednesday, said the feature is rolling out with the latest app update.
In addition, Musk said Twitter is releasing the first version of encrypted DMs. With the latest version of the app, Musk said users can DM reply to any message in the thread, not just the most recent, and use any emoji reaction.
The Twitter updates
Announcing the new features via a tweet on Wednesday, Musk said:
- “With the latest version of the app, you can DM reply to any message in the thread (not just the most recent) and use any emoji reaction.
- “The release of encrypted DMs V1.0 should happen tomorrow. This will grow in sophistication rapidly. The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head.
- “Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number.”
Other changes
Musk in an attempt to reposition Twitter, has introduced several changes to the platform. Earlier this week, Musk announced that the company will soon remove accounts that have been inactive for several years, saying that the action is “important to free up abandoned handles.”
Twitter’s billionaire owner in a separate tweet said inactive accounts will be archived. Musk did not add any details on when the process will begin.
Musk also said users on the microblogging platform could see a drop in follower count as several inactive accounts might get removed.
According to Twitter’s policy, users should log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to avoid permanent removal due to prolonged inactivity.
Earlier this month, Musk “threatened” to reassign National Public Radio’s Twitter account to another company, after the public broadcaster stopped posting content to its 52 official Twitter feeds in protest against a Twitter label that implied government involvement in its editorial content.
