For a while now, Twitter has been testing the temporary tweets feature that disappears after 24 hours. You can create a tweet using the Fleets tool, which prevents it from appearing on your main timeline. You are already familiar with Fleets if you have ever used the Snapchat Stories feature, which Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp eventually adopted. Having said that, Twitter has added its own twist to the Stories feature rather than simply copying it. Everything you need to know about Twitter Fleets and how to utilise it on your profile will be covered in this article.
What Is Twitter Fleets
Twitter Fleets, as already mentioned, are a response to the well-liked Stories feature that we have seen on other social media sites. Twitter claims that fleets are for posting momentary ideas that you want to forget and don’t want to display on your timeline. Fleets on Twitter vanish after a day, just as on other services. Fleets are ideal for posting something temporary and ad hoc.
What Differentiates Fleets from Stories?
The ability to share clickable links is what sets Fleets apart from Stories the most. If you’ve ever used Instagram Stories, you are aware that unless you are verified or have 10,000 followers, you cannot share clickable links on stories. I’m relieved to see that Twitter is not following the same course. There are other creative differences as well, but this is the most significant and beneficial distinction between Fleets and Stories.
How to Create Twitter Fleets
It is simple to create Twitter Fleets. There is a Fleets carousel at the top of your profile. Along with Fleets from the people you follow, it also displays your profile image at the top with a plus sign (+).
To open the compose window, first tap the symbol.
2. You can put your ideas and paste links here. You are allowed to post fleets up to 280 characters, just like regular Tweets.
3. You may also add mentions and hashtags. You can get ideas by simply typing # or @ after the text, as demonstrated below.
4. To add photos and videos, use the camera or the picture button.
5. Click the Aa button in the upper right corner to add text to your images and videos.
6. Similarly, by tapping the GIF icon, you may add animated gifs. A window where you can look for gifs will open as a result. Recall that gifs cannot have text added on top of them.
How to View Fleets
You will see a fleeting thought from a person you are following in the carousel at the top of your home feed if they have access to Fleets and have shared it. Additionally, you may locate fleets by looking at someone’s profile. There will be a circle around their profile photo if they have shared a fleet. To uncover the button to launch the Fleet, tap on it.
Interacting with Fleets
You’ll see that Twitter has taken a somewhat different tack when you tap to view a Fleet. Instead of moving horizontally while swiping up and down or touching, TheFleets scroll vertically. Additionally, they don’t scroll automatically, unlike the majority of other applications that include Stories. I detest auto-scrolling since it forces me to hold down a story to stop it from scrolling on other apps. I adore the fact that this isn’t the case. Having said that, my coworker Anmol (@ bournesach) thought it was complicated. I suppose it varies from individual to person.
Twitter forbids you from publicly liking, retweeting, or replying to fleets because they are transient and disappear within 24 hours. Emoticons or direct messages are both acceptable ways to respond to Fleets. Anybody can respond to your fleet if your direct messages are open, but only the people you follow can do so if they are closed.
You are still able to take a screenshot of another person’s Fleet and post it to your timeline or Fleet, much like Instagram Stories. It’s disappointing that the user won’t be notified of the screenshot, which rather defeats the point of transient tweets. However, you will be able to see who has viewed each of your Fleets.
Shortcomings and Bugs of Twitter Fleets
There aren’t many features at the moment because Twitter Fleets are still in the testing stage. The only additional content you can contribute is text, photographs, links, videos, and gifs. Both sticker support and text styling options are absent. Additionally, it’s unfortunate that Fleets containing photographs and videos can’t include hashtags or mentions but text fleets can. Due to this, Instagram Stories now has an advantage over Fleets.
The Fleet carousel is another aspect of Fleets that I dislike because it is only partially sticky. When I say it’s “half-sticky,” I mean that it vanishes as you move down your timeline but reappears as you scroll back up. It doesn’t hold off until you reach the top of your timeline. And that is simply irritating.
Speaking of bugs, I ran into a number of them while testing Fleets. On both iOS and Android smartphones, I tested Fleets. I was only allowed to upload videos of 30 seconds on iOS. However, I was able to submit films up to one minute and forty seconds on Android. Similar to how I was limited to 1 minute of video recording time on Android, the feature outright didn’t work on the iPhone.
Twitter Fleets Conclusion
I can see me using Twitter Fleets as a good addition to the already-existing Twitter services. Before making this service available globally, Twitter must address the flaws. Although issues (such the inability to shoot video) must be fixed, I can wait for the new additions. That is all I have to say. If Twitter Fleets is accessible in your country, check it out and share your impressions in the comments section.
