What is Twitter Circle? The new feature that lets you share tweets with select smaller crowd

Feature lets users add up to 150 people who can see their tweets when they want to share with a smaller crowd

(AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter is testing a new feature that lets users tweet specific posts to a select smaller crowd.

“Some Tweets are for everyone & others are just for people you’ve picked. We’re now testing Twitter Circle, which lets you add up to 150 people who can see your Tweets when you want to share with a smaller crowd,” the social media giant announced on Tuesday.

The feature, similar to Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature, would let users select the people they’d want in their “Circle,” which could include both followers and non-followers.

Users can add up to 150 people to their Circle and edit the list anytime they want.

When users do not feel like tweeting to the masses, they could select “Twitter Circle” instead of “Everyone” on the “Choose Audience” menu while posting a tweet.

Only people currently on the Circle can see the tweet, but even they cannot use the retweet icon to share the post automatically.

This may still not stop some users from taking screenshots of the content in the tweet and share them.

However, Twitter has mentioned that users may still get banned for abusive behavior or other activities that break its rules even if the masses can’t see tweets shared to a specific focused group.

Users added to a Circle cannot remove themselves from it, but they can mute a discussion if they choose to.

The Twitter Circle feature has been under work since at least last year, according to The Verge.

Last July, the social media company shared a glimpse of the feature, calling it “Trusted Friends,” and then earlier this year with the name “Flock.”

The feature, now under the name “Twitter Circle,” is available only to a few users on the platform, can help them create a single Circle, and only those who create the Circle can see the list of people that are in it.

This new announcement comes days after Tesla chief Elon Musk’s $44bn deal to take over the company which is still months away from closing.

After the Tesla chief initially bought a major 9 per cent stake in the social media company last month, Twitter also hinted at an upcoming edit feature that would let users fix errors in their posts.