The first Twitter user to like a Tweet will now be presented with an exclusive animation. While its current function is solely for the sake of signifying the very first like, the new feature could have some other potentially creative use cases. This is only one of many changes that have come to the platform lately, with the social media giant also working on a handful of new features for its expected subscription service.
Within the past few weeks alone, Twitter made some of these rumored features accessible to the public, including its new tip jar and Spaces. Twitter's tip jar feature offers users a way to reward other accounts with a financial bonus, while Spaces provides them with a room to speak in and to listen to others. However, not everyone will be able to utilize everything that the tip jar offers, and the same can be said for Twitter's Spaces as well.
Twitter is bringing yet another new feature to the public, and this time everyone can make use of it, so long as they're quick enough to trigger it. In a Tweet, Twitter announced that all users will finally know if they were the first to like a particular Tweet, as those who tap on an empty heart will be treated to a special animation that fills the heart with a “+1” graphic along with numerous plus signs emanating from it. Twitter specified that the new first like animation is currently available to Twitter app users on both iOS and Android, so it's worth noting that trying it on web browsers will result in the usual filled-heart like animation.
What Twitter's New First Like Animation Could Mean
It might not make the user experience as convenient as some of Twitter's other and more beneficial features, but it does have potential in certain scenarios. Aside from looking aesthetically pleasing, it basically determines which user was the first to like a particular tweet. This is especially useful when combined with screen-captures to provide evidence in instances where a first-like is used as a condition in winning a contest or promotional giveaway.
Given the many giveaways on the social media platform, this feature can act as a means to get even more users to engage in such activities within the community. The added eye candy also provides users with a simple and fun reason to like a post instinctively, which can only increase engagement on the platform in the future. While it isn't exactly something users have been incessantly asking for, it might help to reduce the amount of arguments between those claiming to be the “first” in the comments. It is also good to see a Twitter feature become immediately available on both iOS and Android, considering some can take years to arrive on Android.
Source: Twitter