UPDATED 4:20 p.m. ET: NBC News has issued a correction for it piece on Twitter's new prototype app 'twttr.' The outlet originally reported that the platform was considering removing engagement counts from posts. NBC News has since clarified that twttr did not actually do away with the likes and retweets, but simply hid them behind a user tap.
An earlier version of this article misstated the changes that Twitter is testing in a prototype app. Twitter is testing putting engagement counts on replies behind a user tap, not removing the engagement counts for tweets.
Read the original story below.
Twitter is preparing to make significant changes.
This week, the social media platform rolled out its prototype app dubbed "twttr"—a reference to founder Jack Dorsey's first-ever tweet. The application was made available to select users who will provide feedback on a slew of new features that aim to promote "healthy conversation" on the platform. Some of the proposed changes include color-coded replies that will differentiate tweets from those of the original poster. The replies will also be indented and shaped like a bubble for easier reading.
As part of its mission to increase "friendliness," the twttr app will also hide engagement counts such as retweets and likes. It has also removed the heart icon, the retweet icon, as well as the reply button. If users want to engage with a specific post, they'll have to click on the tweet to see their options.
Twitter is stepping up its efforts to compete with the likes of Instagram and Snapchat. Keith Coleman, Twitter's head of consumer product, said the company is rolling out new camera and video features that provide users with customizable options. These include the ability to add one of six different colors to the media, as well as captions, locations, and hashtags over the photos, videos, or live broadcasts.
"We've really intentionally tried to make the images and footage that are captured on the ground at an event look different than other images and videos that you might attach to a tweet," Coleman told NBC News.
Twttr also features a completely new, and much more minimalist logo, as previewed earlier this week:
Twitter will continue to gather feedback from twttr users before it implements new features on a global level.
