Just a few weeks after news circulated that Twitter was testing a feature that would allow users to receive direct messages (DMs) from anyone, not just those they follow, it appears the social platform has removed the option for some users.
By default, Twitter lets users send DMs to their followers, but not the other way around. Last month, it became known that Twitter opened up that restriction, giving users the option to accept DMs from any user, but the company had been quietly testing the option since as far back as 2011. Although it wasn’t available for everyone, some users were able to switch on the option via the “account” section under settings.
But now, some users who saw the feature appear on their accounts are no longer seeing it.Mashable staffers who initially had the option under settings confirmed the disappearance.
That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that the feature is dead. The company is known for quietly testing and evolving features on the site to learn more about its products and the roll out of new ones.
“A common thread across recent releases has been experimentation,” a blog post from September read. “We’ve tested various features with small groups of our 200 million users before determining what we’ll release. These tests are essential to delivering the best possible user experience.”
The move to narrow direct messaging functionality could be related to rumors that Twitter is developing a standalone DM app.
Source: Mashable
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