Twitter Is Teasing an ‘Unsend’ Feature – Here’s What It Might Look Like

Anyone who’s used Twitter before has likely experienced the rush of embarrassment that comes from accidentally sending a typo out into the ether. Unlike other social media platforms, Twitter doesn’t have an edit option for tweets; once you send it, there’s no going back. All you can really do is delete the tweet and hope no one captured your error with a screenshot.

The way Twitter works is interesting. It’s the platform that’s arguably most suited to sharing thoughts and powerful opinions, but without any kind of edit option – save for that delete button – it means your drunken Friday night theories may go out into the world as is, with no way of you awkwardly toning them down in the sober light of day.

Anyway. From what recent reports have shared, it seems Twitter is looking at introducing a means of giving users a chance to think through their thoughts before posting soon, but at a cost.

What’s the rumoured Twitter unsend feature?

As CNET has reported, app researcher Jane Manchun Wong has shared some details about a possible unsend function on Twitter. Wong tweeted that:

“Twitter is working on app subscription for paid features like ‘Undo Tweet’”.

She also shared a GIF that showed what the proposed function could look like. From what we can see, it appears that once you press sent on a tweet, an undo button will appear with a timed progress bar, giving you the option to can the tweet before it goes live.

Twitter is working on app subscription for paid features like “Undo Tweet” https://t.co/CrqnzIPcOH pic.twitter.com/Ct16Gk2RL1

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) March 19, 2021

This, Wong and CNET explained, would act differently to deleting tweets which, as we know, can only happen once they’re out in the world – where those aforementioned screenshots can happen.

CNET shared Twitter has confirmed with the outlet that this feature is in testing right now.

What’s this subscription business?

Wong also wrote that the feature will only be available to paying subscribers of the app. According to reports from Bloomberg back in February, the possible subscription service may include offerings in addition to the unsend feature – like more customisable profiles, add-free experiences or extra content.

The paid subscription and new features like the unsend button would join other recent releases from Twitter, like Spaces and Fleets.

So, the question is: if this gets off the ground – would you be willing to pay for it?