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Twitter rolls out ‘Hide Reply’ function globally to improve conversation

Anyone can choose to hide replies to their Tweets. Everyone can see and engage with hidden replies by tapping the grey icon that will appear on the Tweets.

Twitter rolls out ‘Hide Reply’ function globally to improve conversation

Twitter on November 21, 2019, began letting users "hide" tweeted replies that could be seen as abusive or harassing in the latest effort by the online platform to create a more welcoming environment. The move is part of an effort to help users "feel safe and comfortable while talking on Twitter," head of product management Suzanne Xie said in a statement announcing the feature. (Photo by Glenn CHAPMAN / AFP)

Twitter’s radical “Hide Replies” feature, one of the biggest changes to how Twitter works since the invention of the Retweet, is now available to Twitter’s global user base.

Users now can hide replies they think are irrelevant, off-topic, or annoying and this might change the course of the discussion on the platform. The option to hide replies which may be offensive, hateful or racist in nature has rolled out globally on iOS, Android, Twitter Lite and twitter.com, the micro-blogging platform said in a statement late Thursday.

Currently, people who reply to your tweet can shift the topic or tone of a discussion and derail what you and your audience want to talk about.

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“To give you more control over the conversations you start, we tested the option for you to hide replies to your Tweets. We learned that the feature is a useful new way to manage your conversations. Today, we’re making this available to everyone globally,” said Twitter.

Here’s how it works

Anyone can choose to hide replies to their Tweets. Everyone can see and engage with hidden replies by tapping the grey icon that will appear on the Tweets.

This way, users will have more control over the conversations they start but people can still see the entire conversation.

The option is a new way to shut out noise as 85 per cent of the people who hide replies are not using block or mute.

It is not the equivalent of a delete button but hides replies behind an icon. If your followers still want to see the hidden replies, they can press the icon and view those. A Twitter user can also hide replies that attempt to correct misinformation or offer a fact check.

The feature was first tested in Canada in July, then in the US and Japan this September.

(With input from agencies)

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