The long-awaited edit button on Twitter has finally been released, albeit only in beta and among paid users.
By the end of September, members of Twitter Blue, the company’s subscription service, will be able to access the feature, which is presently being tested internally by Twitter.
Within 30 minutes of sending a tweet, users will have a couple opportunities to edit it.
Much like Facebook, Twitter will place an edited icon beside an edited tweet, so “it’s clear to readers that the original Tweet has been modified,” the company said in a blog post. Tapping the label will take viewers to the tweet’s Edit History, showing past versions of the post.
“We’re hoping that, with the availability of Edit Tweet, Tweeting will feel more approachable and less stressful,” the company said. “You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you, and we’ll keep working on ways that make it feel effortless to do just that.”
The company also revealed why editing a Tweet is limited to 30 minutes after you send it out.
“Think of it as a short period of time to do things like fix typos, add missed tags, and more,” the company said. According to Twitter, the time limit and version history “help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said.”
Currently, the feature is in testing but anyone can see if a Tweet has been edited – everyone just can’t use it yet.
