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Video And Voice Calls Coming to Twitter

By Charlie Fripp
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Microblogging platform Twitter has gone through many changes since billionaire Elon Musk took over. The majority of these changes haven’t been received well by the millions of users, with the latest update removing the blue checkmark for legacy verified accounts. Musk, nonetheless, is forging ahead with additional features and recently said that video and voice chats are coming to Twitter.

Good to know: Co-founder Jack Dorsey recently admitted that Elon Musk isn’t the right person to lead Twitter.

More Ways to Connect

If you’ve been on Twitter for several years, you’ll know what the platform has implemented and retracted various features since its launch. It started with tweets limited to 140 characters, then 240, but Musk increased that to a whopping 4,000. User verification also went through several updates, culminating in Musk essentially starting over – unless you paid.

Twitter Pexels
Image source: Pexels

Who can reply to your tweets and send you direct messages gave users more control over their privacy, but Musk is now adding a new feature that increases how people connect.

In a tweet on Wednesday, he explained that a new version of Twitter is in development that includes voice and video chat from your handle. It’s unclear how this will work, but Musk said calls will be possible “to anyone on this platform,” so you can talk to other users “without giving them your phone number.” The ability to phone others through a social media platform isn’t revolutionary, as it’s already available on Facebook and Messenger.

Twitter Elon Musk
Image source: Twitter

How users enable privacy settings for voice and video calls is still unclear, but it’s assumed that you will be able to specify who is allowed to call you. Musk also didn’t specify when the calling feature is rolling out, only stating that it’s “coming soon.”

In the same tweet, the new owner also revealed that the upcoming update allows you to reply to any tweet thread with a direct message to the poster. It’s uncertain if this overrides the setting for who can reply to you. He’s also making direct messages more secure by making them encrypted, saying that he can’t “see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head.”

Tip: need to get around Twitter faster? Use our Twitter Shortcuts Cheatsheet.

Image credit: Pexels

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Charlie Fripp Avatar
Charlie Fripp
Charlie Fripp is a technology writer with a strong focus on consumer gadgets, video games, and cyber security. He holds an undergraduate degree in professional journalism and has worked as a journalist for over 15 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing various musical instruments and gardening.

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