Twitter is back to allowing chronological display of posts in the feed

Responding to criticism from users, Twitter will once again allow users to select their preferred content feed on Android and iOS.

As on TikTok, posts in the Twitter timeline have been switched for display based on the priority set by the platform’s algorithms, favoring maximizing user engagement by serving up the type of posts that attract the most interest, including boosting viral trends. All in order for the Elon Musk-run platform to bring its realized revenue as close to its full potential as possible. And in order not to completely lose touch with reality, users had to select the conological feed each time they started the app, moved to a separate tab.

Under the new profit-driven approach, Twitter would favor posts shared by Twitter Blue subscribers, sponsored posts, and other tweets that went viral, with good timeliness and accuracy taking a back seat.

This is live for Android and iOS!

Update to the latest version of the app so that “For you” and “Following” will default to whichever tab you had open last. https://t.co/GB1TxWJoOm

– Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) February 6, 2023

Officially, Twitter administrators said that the default use of algorithmic suggestions instead of simply displaying the most recent tweets chronologically is intended to better control misinformation, ensuring that new tweets become visible only after they receive a “green light” from the platform’s automated filters. Basically, Twitter has switched to a two-tab display mode, directing users to the “optimised” version of the feed.

No matter which accounts you follow, the new “For you” tab can also insert other auto-selected posts based on your content preferences, the recipe borrowed from the TikTok platform aimed at captivating you as much as possible with more or less relevant posts. The more time you spend on Twitter, the better your advertising revenue and activity statistics will look to shareholders.

Returning to better thoughts, Twitter introduces the option to remember the last option selected, meaning that the choice between the For You tab and Following with chronological display will only have to be made once. Although, the platform’s administrators don’t provide much of a description for how the two content lists work, well-informed users at least have the option to choose their preferred news channel.