Twitter reveals plan to hide Likes and Retweets on new Twttr app

Twitter has rolled out a brand new prototype app to a small group of beta testers before a possible global release with a number of new features, including one that hides Likes and Retweets for posts on a user’s feed.

Called “Twttr”, the new app was first shown off publicly on Tuesday, March 12 and it includes some of the biggest changes to the platform since it’s launch in 2006.

Besides new features to try and help pictures and video on Twitter, It also doesn’t show the number of retweets or likes a tweet receives in a users feed, a change the company says is designed to make Twitter “friendlier”.

A familiar Twitter thread on the left, and a new “Twttr” thread with no likes or retweets displayed on the right.

With likes and retweets hidden on the main feed, users will have to now open the reply menu to a tweet in order to see the number of likes and retweets.

If users are reading tweets on their feed or in a thread, likes and retweets will no longer show up below any of the tweets.

• Read More: Shroud provides update after scooter accident, may be “out of commission” for some time

Replies have also gotten changed, replies from the original poster of the tweet or from followers will be highlighted in blue, while responses from others will be marked grey.

Responses from mutuals now appear with a blue highlight, while others appear as grey.

The massive changes to how interaction works on the platform could rub some users and creators, who might rely on Likes and Retweets to track how well content does, the wrong way.

• Read More: Dr Disrespect breaks fourth wall in The Division 2 with brilliant phone call sketch

Knowing the nature of Twitter, the company will no doubt receive a ton of feedback on the new features from users before it ever goes live.

Twttr is still a prototype that seems to be in its early stages, so we have no idea when, of even if, the changes will be rolled out to more and more users.