Twitter’s Most Controversial Feature Is Available For Some Users

The Twitter edit button is appearing in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Twitter Blue subscribers will have up to 30 minutes of editing time in order to fix or correct their Tweets.

By Trista Sobeck | Published

Don’t tweet while you’re angry! Well, social media companies actually prefer that you do, which is probably why Twitter dragged its feet in rolling out the anxiously awaited Twitter edit button. But, for subscribers in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, it’s here! 

According to TechCrunch, those who use the Twitter edit button will have a pencil icon by the edited Tweet. Readers–if they so choose–can actually go back through the edits and see what the previous versions were. No one’s getting away with anything, here. 

Say you want to tag someone but forgot (oh no!) Or perhaps you need to hashtag the newest trending term. You can simply use your undo Tweet feature and fix your sad faux pas. 

You can only use the Twitter edit button up to five times. Experts believe this is to prevent people from abusing the feature by changing original content over and over again. Twitter loves angry people who don’t think, start feuds, and maybe even World War III. Why put an end to that fun? 

Undo Tweet lasts for 30 seconds only. But now, with the Twitter edit button, you can take all the time you want to edit your Tweet. Well, up to 30 minutes. You have a half hour to think about it, go back to it, and change it. 

The Twitter edit button just went live on October 3 and the company is saying that US-based Tweets will see it soon. How soon? Maybe a while due to the company’s own drama of Elon Musk just announcing on October 4 that he will, after all, purchase the company for the original price. Or perhaps this means it will be fast-tracked. 

Amid rumors and info of Twitter experiencing financial troubles, legal troubles, and Elon troubles, Twitter launched its Twitter edit button as if to say, “hey, all is well. And here’s what you’ve all been asking for since 2007.” So, thanks Twitter! 

Twitter Blue is a subscription platform the social media company introduced last year. Subscribers get perks and extra enhancements like bookmarking, fun icons, undo Tweet, and reader mode. Note, undo tweet is NOT the same thing as the Twitter edit button. The latter is just for changing content that has already been pushed live into the feed and the Tweet will stay up, just with the edited content.

Twitter has enjoyed its own drama and like a little devilish child, it’s done some harm in the past. But the public usually forgets about it rather quickly. Now, for a moment, Twitter gets its moment in the sun. 

One thing’s for sure is that you won’t see many misspellings on Twitter anymore. People will edit their angry rants, speak kindly to one another, and Twitter feuds will be a thing of the past. Only if people don’t click the pencil icon to see earlier drafts. 

Oh, one of the great Trump Tweets of 2017 could’ve been prevented if only he had the Twitter edit button. And then we all wouldn’t be stumped about what that Tweet really was about.