for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, May 6-8 in Palm Springs.
Twitter is swapping the notifications bell with the Moments lightning bolt
Since the blue dot faced immediate and universal backlash from annoyed users, Twitter is now using a force-of-habit method to point people to Moments.
Android users, who are accustomed to tapping on the far left of the tool bar to see their notifications, have noticed that Twitter has put the Moments lightning bolt where the bell used to be, in an apparent attempt to get people to click on the curated stream.
A Twitter spokesperson told Digiday the change will soon roll out to “everyone” on Android. Twitter did not immediately say if the change will migrate to iOS users.
Here’s how the toolbar now appears:
Twitter is taking a big risk in alienating people who are accustomed to tapping on the far left to see their notifications. For those who have noticed the change, they’ve tweeted their annoyance with it:
good try, @twitter. moving the Moments tab where my notifications used to be STILL WON’T MAKE ME USE IT.
— Miss Scarlett (@SmuttWhisperer) December 3, 2015
Twitter moved the Moments icon into the place where the Notifications icon used to be. Nice try, Twitter, nice try. Not falling for it. — Brian Incognito (@BrianIncognito) December 2, 2015
I see you, twitter. Switching the Moments and the Notifications tabs around won’t make me look at or like Moments.
— OrneryPiglett (@OrneryPiglett) December 2, 2015
Twitter switched the moments icon with notifications, ensuring that compulsive tweeters click on that stupid thing at least once. — Cliff Cringle (@moonpolysoft) December 1, 2015
Twitter has made the Moments icon give before notifications. Talk about trying too hard. pic.twitter.com/OLpaX0I5Q7
— Ian Patrick Hines (@ianpatrickhines) November 30, 2015
Moments launched in October as a way to lure in new users afraid of the chaotic home screen, offering a curated tab by its editors of what’s trending on the app. It’s too early to tell what impact Moment has had in growing its user base, but the move clearly indicates that Twitter, at the very least, wants its existing users to give it a try.
But judging by these (albeit small) number of reactions, its die-hard Twitter users prefer it the old-fashioned way.
Image via Shutterstock/Twitter.
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