Twitter has long been experimenting with fleeting tweets that disappear after 24 hours. Known as “Fleets,” this feature lets you post tweets that won’t appear on your main timeline. If you’re familiar with Snapchat Stories, which have been adopted by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, you’ll recognize the format of Fleets. However, Twitter hasn’t merely copied the “Stories” concept; instead, it has put its own spin on it. This article aims to explore Twitter Fleets comprehensively and provide practical tips for using them effectively on your profile.
Exploring Twitter Fleets
Mentioned, Twitter Fleets respond to the popular “Stories” feature found on other social media platforms. Twitter defines Fleets for sharing fleeting thoughts that you want to disappear and don’t want on your timeline. Like other services, Twitter Fleets vanish after 24 hours, ideal for casual, impermanent posts.
Distinguishing Fleets from Stories
The primary distinction between Fleets and Stories is the ability to share clickable links. Unlike Instagram Stories, which restrict clickable links to verified accounts or those with 10,000 followers, Twitter allows this feature without such limitations. While there are other differences, this stands out as the most significant advantage of Fleets over Stories.
Creating Twitter Fleets
Creating Twitter Fleets is straightforward. On your profile, a Fleets carousel appears at the top. Alongside Fleets from people you follow, your profile picture is displayed with a “+” icon.
1. Tap the icon to open the compose window.
2. Share your thoughts and paste links. Like typical Tweets, fleets are limited to 280 characters.
3. You can include hashtags and mentions. Simply type ‘#’ or ‘@’ followed by text for suggestions.
4. Tap the “camera” or “picture” button to insert images and videos.
5. Use the “Aa” button at the top-right to overlay text on your photos and videos.
6. Add gifs by tapping the “GIF” button. Search for gifs in the provided window. Note: You can’t add text over gifs.
Viewing Fleets
If someone you follow has access to Fleets and shares a thought, you’ll see it in the carousel at the top of the home feed. Fleets can also be found by visiting a user’s profile. If they’ve shared a fleet, you’ll see a circle around their profile picture. Tapping on it reveals the button to open the Fleet.
Interacting with Fleets
When viewing a Fleet, Twitter adopts a unique approach. The Fleets scroll vertically through swiping or tapping, rather than horizontally. Unlike many other apps with Stories, they do not auto-scroll. I dislike the auto-scroll feature in other apps because I have to hold down a story to prevent it from moving. Fortunately, that’s not necessary here, which I appreciate. However, my colleague (@_bournesach) Anmol found it cumbersome. Therefore, opinions on this may vary.
Tweets are ephemeral and vanish after 24 hours. Twitter does not allow public liking, retweeting, or replying to fleets. You can react with emojis or reply via Direct Messages. If your DMs are open, anyone can reply to your fleet; if closed, only those you follow can reply.
You can still screenshot a Fleet and share it on your timeline or Fleet, akin to Instagram Stories. The user won’t receive a notification of the screenshot, undermining the ephemeral nature of tweets. However, you can see who has viewed your Fleets.
Shortcomings and Bugs of Twitter Fleets
Twitter Fleets, currently in testing, lack many features. You can include text, images, links, videos, and gifs, but there’s no support for stickers or text styling options. Although hashtags and mentions can be added in text fleets, they’re unavailable in fleets with photos and videos, giving Instagram Stories an advantage.
Additionally, the Fleet carousel is semi-sticky, disappearing when scrolling down but reappearing upon scrolling up, which can be annoying.
Talking about the Bugs, I encountered a few when testing Fleets. I tested Fleets on both Android and iOS devices. On iOS, uploading a video was restricted to 30 seconds. But on Android, I could upload videos up to 1 minute 40 seconds. Similarly, recording a video on Android was limited to 1 minute, while the feature didn’t work on the iPhone.
Twitter Fleets – Conclusion
Twitter Fleets are good additions to existing Twitter features and I can see myself using it. However, Twitter needs to fix the bugs before releasing this service worldwide. I can wait for the new features, but bugs (like the inability to record video) need to be fixed. That’s all from me. Check out Twitter Fleets if available in your country and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Pritam Chopra is a seasoned IT professional and a passionate blogger hailing from the dynamic realm of technology. With an insatiable curiosity for all things tech-related, Pritam has dedicated himself to exploring and unraveling the intricacies of the digital world.
