The development team behind every major app or website must have a love-hate relationship with reverse engineers. It’s probably flattering that there are people so excited to see what’s in store, yet irritating that they just might reveal new features before the official announcement comes out.
Well, one of social media’s most well-known reverse engineers has once again shared her findings in the Twitter code.
The Look of Tweets on Your Twitter Timeline Just Might Change
Reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong revealed that Twitter is currently working on changing the layout of tweets on its timeline.
She posted a screenshot of the layout we might be seeing on Twitter sometime soon, which has the user’s name, handle, and the date/time of the tweet on two lines. The new layout also has a lot more padding (space between and around elements like text, icons, etc.).
From the replies, this new layout is great because it works better with long names, reducing nuances / trust&safety issues related to the name
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) April 18, 2021
At the time of writing, Twitter’s timeline shows names, handles, and the tweet’s date/time on one line regardless of device.
While Wong initially thought this was a purely cosmetic change, her followers were quick to point out that this is likely an attempt to make sure all information is displayed properly (even if a user were to have a long name or handle).
Different devices come in different sizes, and if the device you use to access Twitter doesn’t have a wide enough screen, you might not be able to see the full name and handle of the author(s) of the tweets on your timeline. Instead, Twitter will cut it off with an ellipsis (…).
Fair enough
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) April 18, 2021
Which Tweet Layout Do You Prefer?
We don’t know if the new layout is the only change Twitter is planning to make to its appearance, or if this is small part of a completely new look for the microblogging service. Either way, given the problems presented by the current layout, the idea of changing how tweets appear on the timeline is a pretty good one.