It’s been a somewhat tumultuous time on Twitter since Elon Musk took over at the end of October, and there’s been a lot of focus on the controversial changes to the Twitter Blue subscription. Now, Twitter has announced that the plan will be relaunched on Monday.
In a tweet from his official account (opens in new tab), Twitter confirmed that the cost of Twitter Blue will remain the same at $8 per month, but will increase to $11 per month if you sign up through iOS (including Apple’s App Store tax). International pricing for the iOS bump is yet to be confirmed, but the plan currently costs £7 a month in the UK and AU$7 in Australia.
One of the most talked about changes coming to Twitter Blue is that verification is being rolled into it. The new announcement says that Blue subscribers with a verified phone number will get a blue check once their account is approved, so it sounds like there’s some sort of manual review going on as well.
we’re relaunching @TwitterBlue on Monday – subscribe on the web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to access subscriber-only features including the blue tick 🧵 pic.twitter.com/DvvsLoSO50December 10, 2022
What you get
Twitter also says tweets from Blue subscribers will be prioritized in replies, mentions and searches. Those who pay the monthly fee also see fewer ads, can post longer videos, and get early access to new features during testing.
Other Twitter features that will be exclusive to Blue subscribers include the ability to edit tweets, post video in 1080p quality, and access a reading mode that makes it easier to parse tweets and threads on screen.
Meanwhile, the “official” labels that appeared on some accounts will be changed to gold check marks for corporates and gray check marks for government and “multilateral” accounts. It’s not yet clear what will happen to individual users who previously authenticated under the older system.
Analysis: Twitter 2.0 takes off
As the head of SpaceX, Tesla, and now Twitter, Elon Musk certainly shares the views – but there’s no question that he likes to move fast with his changes and innovations. We’ve seen all sorts of tests and tweaks on Twitter over the past few months.
When it comes to Twitter Blue and the verification process, it could be argued that Musk has moved too fast. While Twitter Blue was already available before its arrival, offering a blue check to subscribers and increasing prices for those who sign up through their iPhones or iPads has made it more confusing and controversial.
Extra features have that cost, makes sense — Twitter needs the revenue, after all — but authentication was originally conceived as a way to confirm identity and trustworthiness on Twitter. Now that can be bought by anyone who can afford it, diluting the appeal of that blue tick.
We’ll have to wait and see how these changes affect the social network and whether Musk’s grand plan for Twitter 2.0 can materialize. No doubt there is much more in the pipeline as the platform continues to evolve.