We've seen Stories infiltrate just about every social network in recent years, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. Now Twitter is adding them, too.
Twitter today began testing Fleets, its version of disappearing posts. The feature is only available in Brazil right now, but folks in that country can get it on both Android and iOS.
Fleets are named that way because they let you share fleeting thoughts. These posts disappear after 24 hours and can't be Retweeted, Liked, or replied to like regular posts on Twitter. Instead, you can only respond to a Fleet with an emoji or with a Direct Messages.
You'll see Fleets from people you follow at the top of your Twitter timeline. Just tap on a person's avatar to view the Fleets they've posted.
"People often tell us that they don't feel comfortable Tweeting because Tweets can be seen and replied to by anybody, feel permanent and performative (how many Likes & Retweets will this get!?)," explains Kayvon Beykpour, Twitter's Product Lead. "We've listened to this feedback and working to create new capabilities that address some of the anxieties that hold people back from talking on Twitter."
Sometimes you may want to share a thought with your followers, but don't necessarily need that to permanently be in your timeline for one reason or another. Fleets will let you quickly share something without it always being attached to your profile or worrying about how people will reply to it.
There's no word yet on when Fleets will roll out to Twitter users outside of Brazil. If it does, is this a feature you think you'll use?