Twitter on Wednesday launched Circle, a new feature that allows profiles to tweet to a smaller, curated audience, setting the social media platform abuzz with questions and invitations to private lists.
Users have the choice to tweet to a select group of followers, or a Circle. It's reminiscent of Instagram's Close Friends function, where a story meant for your closest peers is invisible to the rest of Instagram.
Ideally, it's a better way of controlling your privacy and filtering who you share your thoughts with. The Circle exists within your main account, and can serve as a more 'private' room if your Twitter account were ever a house.
Tweets are still subject to community guidelines, and tweets made in the Circle can still be reported.
So how does Twitter Circle work?
Hit the compose tweet button, tap the dropdown menu beside your profile picture, and select Circle. Beside it you'll see an edit button that allows you to add or remove friends from your list. Type our your thoughts, share a photo, upload a video—hit tweet and congratulations, you've tweeted to your Circle.
Tweets made within the Circle are highlighted in green to differentiate from the app's usual blue hue for everything else.
Like the Instagram function, you get to decide who makes it into the Circle. Only those in the list can reply to your Circle tweets, and only other people within the Circle can see the replies to the tweet.
You can add anyone to the list, even profiles you don't follow.
Users in your Circle will see a prompt that reads, “Only people in @[username]’s Twitter Circle can see this tweet” beneath tweets sent to your Circle.
Is there a limit to number of friends?
We've tried at least 10 people in a Circle, but Twitter said you could choose up to 150 people to include in your Twitter Circle, whether they follow you or not.
Any more than that would mean removing a member to add a new one in.
Will my friends know they've been added?
The only way people can found out they've been included in your Circle is if you tweet privately and they see it on their timelines.
Will friends know if I kicked them out of the Circle?
No, your friends won't know if they got booted out, as Twitter said people "won't be notified if you remove them."
How will my profile look like?
Let's say you replied to a Circle tweet. You'll see it on your profile uner the 'Tweets & replies' tab, but other people outside the circle won't see this on your profile. Those in the same circle can see the replies you made on your profile.
Any Circle tweets you make will be visible on your profile, but invisible to everyone else outside of it.
How about retweets?
Circle tweets can't be retweeted or quote tweeted by anyone. The original poster and the friends in the Circle can't retweet or quote tweet, as the button is greyed out. It can only be liked or replied to.
Can you direct message or link a Circle tweet?
You can't, even if you're the original poster or you're a friend in the Circle.
What happens if I delete a Circle tweet?
The original tweet will be deleted and no one will know what you tweeted, but replies from the Circle are going to stay unless they delete their replies too. All your friends in the Circle, even if they didn't make the Circle or own the Circle, can still see the replies as well.
Can you screenshot?
Users can screenshot Circle tweets. Twitter doesn't send out notifications if it was screenshot or not, so you might want to monitor who's in your circle for potential spies or sntiches.
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