As it continues trying to close its $44 billion sale to Elon Musk, popular social networking service Twitter is taking steps to update its image, introducing multimedia posts for Android and iOS users, who can now augment text with photos, GIFs and videos in a single tweet. Previously, each tweet only accommodated one type of media, though multiple attachments of a single format were permitted. Simultaneously, the company has begun rolling out the “edit” button to U.S. subscribers using the premium Twitter Blue platform, which price increases from $2.99 to $4.99 this month.

This summer, Twitter announced the Twitter Blue rate increase for new subscribers but said early adopters would continue paying $2.99 per month through October. Twitter Blue was introduced last year, but only in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. It continues to be available exclusively in those territories (though active subscribers can use their Blue privileges anywhere in the world).

In September, the company announced it was selectively testing an “edit tweet” button for Twitter Blue users, and last week it announced the feature would be available to everyone in the four territories, but said not all U.S. Blue subscribers will get the edit button immediately, as it is gradually added.

“A longtime request from Twitter’s user base, the edit button allows users to edit their tweets for up to 30 minutes after posting — something that could help users clarify or correct a mistake in their tweet, fix a small typo or add hashtags,” writes TechCrunch.

“Edited tweets will have an icon and timestamp to display when the post was last edited,” reports Reuters, adding that “users will be able to click on the label of an edited tweet to view the edit history and previous versions of the post,” promoting transparency.

For years, Twitter users have requested an edit button, but the feature stirred controversy, with some fearing it might be abused.

Meanwhile, Twitter says in a blog post that its multimedia move gives creators “more ways to tell their story.” The change lets users add “up to four videos, images, and/or GIFs per tweet,” in any combination. While the generative ability exists only on iOS and Android, “tweets with different content types can be consumed on all platforms,” the company says.

The multimedia attachments will display “side by side or in a grid,” according to The Verge. In recent weeks, Twitter also launched the ability to view videos full screen — a feature it calls “immersive view” — and on infinite scroll, through the Explore tab.

“Even with the drama surrounding Elon Musk’s potential acquisition of Twitter, the platform hasn’t stopped rolling out new features,” The Verge observes.

Related:
Twitter Knows You Took a Screenshot, Asks You to Share Instead, Ars Technica, 10/7/22