Everyone can put the rumors to rest [1]. The company announced that it has indeed rolled out a new algorithm [2] where tweets that are most interesting or useful to you will be at the top of the timeline. Underneath that, you'll see tweets from the accounts you follow in reverse chronological order, just like before.
Not everyone was happy:
I agree that algorithmic Twitter feeds would be bad. The best thing about Twitter is finding and retweeting great but obscure tweets.
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) February 7, 2016 [3]
According to Twitter [4], these top tweets are chosen based on the accounts and tweets you engage with the most. Currently, you must turn on the new feature in your account settings, but it will soon become default. Here's how to turn it on or off, depending on your preference.
- For computer users: Go to your account settings page, and under Content, look for Timeline and toggle the box next to where it says "Show me the best tweets first" to change the setting.
- For iOS users: Tap the gear icon on your profile and select Settings. Under Timeline, tap "Timeline personalization." Then, next to "Show me the best tweets first," tap to turn on/off.
- For Andriod users: Hit the overflow icon, tap Settings, then select Timeline, and next to "Show me the best tweets first," check or uncheck the box to turn it on/off.