Twitter Fleets Have Arrived

Twitter has started rolling out its much awaited feature named Twitter Fleet. The feature allows users to share a tweet, photo or even a video that will be available for only 24 hours on the profile. Fleets aren’t private stories, but it’s Twitter’s way to allow users to share things that are less accessible to the world.

The latest addition to the micro-blogging site may not be a new concept as it is very much the same as popular Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram stories and WhatsApp status.

Twitter has announced last month that fleets will eventually be available for everyone. Twitter said that they are getting feedback on the fleet feature and working on improvements.

First fleet was released in Brazil to test the new way to talk for people who don’t like tweets that are becoming official, permanent and are publicly discussed.

How Twitter Fleets Work

Fleets stay active for 24 hours same as on Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram stories. But it cannot get retweets, likes and public replies as these options are available for a tweet. Followers can only react with direct message on fleets. The fleets can be seen by tapping on avatar rather than shown in follower’s timelines.

Kayvon Beykpour announced the feature on his Twitter, the site’s product lead and co-founder said

There are many similarities with the Stories format that will feel familiar to people. There are also a few intentional differences to make the experience more focused on sharing and seeing people’s thoughts.

Moreover, if you want to reply to the fleet, you can send an emoji or a direct message and continue the discussion on the fleet with direct message.

Fleets are mainly text based while photos, GIF or videos can be added. You can also see who have seen your fleet.

How to Create Fleet on Twitter

Follow the steps below to create a new fleet.

1. Tap on your avatar on the top left
2. Start typing if you want to share text on fleet
3. Or click on photo/video icon
4. Tap fleet to share

Conclusion

Twitter Fleets feature is same like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram stories but a platform like twitter also needed this feature as stories are now something universal. It will give twitter users the ability to share their daily thoughts/views/ideas to get limited response from their followers.

Currently the feature is available in Brazil, Italy and India and expected to launch in other countries soon. However, global launch will only occur if Twitter is convinced that fleets is something they want to keep.