Twitter tests Twitter Circle, a way to send tweets to select people

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Twitter is testing a new feature called Twitter Circle which lets users share their tweets with a limited audience.

Twitter Circle, similar to the Close Friends feature of Instagram, is a way to send tweets to select people and share with a smaller crowd. 

“You choose who’s in your Twitter Circle, and only those individuals who you’ve added can reply to and interact with the tweets you share in the Circle,” Twitter explained on a support page. Users can add up to 150 people to a Twitter Circle. 

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The feature is in its early stages currently and being tested with a limited number of people around the globe on Twitter for iOS, Twitter for Android and on the web. Only a limited number of people globally can create Twitter Circle tweets. If Twitter Circle is available to a user, they will see the option to create a Circle when they compose a new tweet. Anyone invited to a Twitter Circle can interact with them, the microblogging platform noted. 

How it works

Users currently have the option to set their account to protected status to limit the audience for their tweets. The protected status allows only the user’s followers to see the tweets sent by him or her. The setting remains in place until a user turns it off. With Twitter Circle, users choose their audience each time they compose a tweet. 

Anyone on Twitter can be added to a Circle, even if they don’t follow someone. Once in the Circle, they’ll be able to see tweets and replies shared in that Circle. Users can only have one Twitter Circle.

“You can always choose the audience you want to tweet to. If you want to send a regular tweet, you can choose “Everyone” in the composer,” it explained.

The feature is different from Twitter Communities.

“Twitter Communities offers people a dedicated place to connect, share, and get closer to the discussions they care about most with anyone on Twitter. Twitter Circle is for sharing tweets with the people you choose,” the social media major explained in an FAQ.

Further, only a user who creates a Circle can see the full list of people in that Circle. 

“Although people won’t see a list of Circle members, when someone likes or replies to a Twitter Circle tweet you share, members see your interaction, unless your account is protected. If someone in your Twitter Circle keeps a protected account, only their followers who are also in your Twitter Circle will see their interaction,” it said.

“People who are currently in your Twitter Circle can see any Twitter Circle tweets you’ve share as well as any non-protected replies to those tweets. If a Circle member keeps a protected account, only their followers who are in your Twitter Circle can see their replies.

Your friend’s Twitter Circle will not be able to see any part of the conversation unless your Circles share common members,” it added. 

People in a Twitter Circle can’t use the Retweet icon to share the Twitter Circle tweets on the platform or in their own Twitter Circle. 

“Please remember that your Twitter Circle members can still download, capture and/or re-share images or screenshots of your Twitter Circle content,” it noted.

Users cannot remove themselves from a Twitter Circle, but they can mute the conversation if they don’t wish to participate.

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