Joburg - You’ve heard of a tweet, but have you heard the chirp?
Yes – the microblogging social network recently updated its app and has added new features for its namesake.
Twitter has been abuzz with users commenting on the new sound effects added by the platform.
Twitter itself is yet to announce or comment on the new tweaks. Still, the sound effects inclusions seem to have been welcomed by the platform’s users after other changes requested by users were implemented by Twitter, such as the edit button for posted tweets.
One user tweeted: “The Twitter app now chirps, and I wasn’t expecting that. Honestly, best improvement since they added an Edit button.”
The minor (and not so useful) sound effects work when users pull down on their home feed to refresh their timeline and see newer tweets.
The sounds also seem to work when pulling down on other menus like within notifications.
When pulling down, a trill is heard, and once refreshed, the app notifies users of the new tweets with a series of “chirps”, sounding like robotic birds.
Scores of users took to the platform to confirm the veracity of what they “thought” they heard.
One user tweeted: “So when you refresh the new Twitter app for iOS, it chirps now, is anyone hearing what I’m hearing?”
However, it isn’t just Twitter’s iOS app that has users chirps; the sound feature has also made its way to the Android tweeps.
so when you refresh new Twitter app for iOS it Chirps 🐥🐣 now, is anyone hearing what i’m hearing? pic.twitter.com/sAVnTe3le9
— 「 ᗪᕼ߷ᖇᗰᗩ 」 🅘︎ (@nisconi) July 16, 2022
I like the new refresh “chirps” that the @Twitter app makes.
— Manav Sinha (@manav_sinha) July 16, 2022
The twitter app now chirps and I wasn’t expecting that. Honestly best improvement since they added an Edit button.
— Jenavieve Rose 🌹 (@Jenavieve_Rose) July 15, 2022
When you refresh your Twitter feed, the bird app chirps!
— Vivek 🇵🇸 | ವಿವೇಕ್ | وویک (@_vdsouza008) July 16, 2022
The new addition is a small inclusion at a time when the platform could use a light-hearted moment amid Elon Musk’s attempts to buy Twitter (and, a short while later, ditch the transaction completely).
Gaming conversations on the rise
Meanwhile, among other less controversial highlights coming from the platform, the company announced that conversations around gaming had soared on Twitter.
Twitter reported that in the first half of this year, there were approximately 1.5 billion tweets about gaming.
According to Twitter, it was a record-high year for conversions around gaming in 2021 with a 36% increase in tweets about the topic year-over-year.
The platform said the conversations were mainly driven by big-time discussions around game releases like Elden Ring, esports leagues like Call of Duty League, VALORANT Champions Tour and Professional Gamers League Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and global gaming events like Xbox Showcase, Playstation’s State of Play and Summer Game Fest.
“Gamers worldwide continued to come to Twitter to discuss all of the latest happenings and trends. From new game releases to patch notes to highlights from major esports events – it’s all happening on Twitter,” the company said.
IOL Tech