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It’s not often you get to see new features that have been operating successfully receive updates so soon. But Twitter seemed to have experienced something wrong when a number of users started inquiring why they are being shown fleets from strangers.
According to screenshots shared by tipster Matt Navarra, Twitter is now highlighting Fleets from profiles outside of your network. This is being indicated with a grey lightning bolt icon suggesting that it is from an account you’re not familiar with.
Anyone know? https://t.co/xbxwOaZgls
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— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) July 7, 2021
Many other users did report seeing the same on the Fleets bar above their timeline. Some noted that these ‘highlight Fleets’ begin to show up in the bar once you’ve viewed all of the latest Fleets from people you follow. Despite this looking like an early test from Twitter, some were clearly not happy with the update.
The whole idea behind the Stories-inspired feature is to provide a more intimate way to interact with one’s followers. However, expanding the reach of Fleets to people with similar interests could help increase the feature’s usage. This could end up improving engagement on Fleets, which has not been seen since its launch.
Additionally, creators could also benefit from the feature by providing various ways to connect with potentially interested audiences. As a result, this could end up making Fleets a bigger consideration for brands. So as much as many people would complain about seeing strangers on their timeline, having a free organic reach boost is something many would die to have without having to pay to get.
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