Virtually since the social media platform's introduction in 2006, users have been asking, begging, and demanding that Twitter
"We're hoping that, with the availability of Edit Tweet, Tweeting will feel more approachable and less stressful," Twitter wrote in a blog announcing the feature. "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."
According to the announcement, the Edit Tweet feature will be tested internally before being introduced to Twitter Blue, the company's $4.99 per month subscription service.
The edit option is expected to eventually be expanded to all users, but Twitter didn't confirm or specify when. According to a spokesperson, Edit Tweet is being tested to "anticipate what might happen if we bring it to everyone."
In the past, Twitter has argued against adding an edit button due to concerns over disinformation. The idea was that bad actors could post something inoffensive, wait for the post to be retweeted around the site, then change the text of the tweet to something misleading, offensive, or contrary to the initial message of the post.
To avoid that issue, the Edit Tweet function will only be available for the first 30 minutes after a tweet is posted, and all edits will be visible to all users on the site in the tweet's Edit History. The announcement also states that the edit function can be used "a few times" but didn't provide details on a limit.
"The time limit and version history play an important role here. They help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said," Twitter wrote.
Adding an edit option is the most recent in a series of efforts by Twitter to increase its users by creating lower-pressure environments for posting. In 2020, the platform added Fleets, similar to Snap or Instagram's 24-hour stories, but the function failed to gain traction and was later removed. Twitter also recently introduced Circles, an option that lets users direct their posts to smaller groups of select followers.
Twitter is the last of the major social media platforms to add an edit option for users. The company is currently embroiled in a legal battle with billionaire Elon Musk over his $44 billion acquisition offer and subsequent reversal. On the same day that Musk revealed his plans to purchase Twitter, he polled his followers about whether or not they would want an edit button, and more than 70% voted "yes".
