Twitter has just announced that it has begun testing a new way of displaying images in the timeline, taking place in its Android and iOS app.
Looking back, the beginning of Twitter was marked by the absence of support for media (images, videos, etc.), although user demand has meant that, over time, native support for them has arrived, even avoiding dependence on third-party tools, among other additions.
As we know, Twitter is in a process of transformation, but even so, there is always room for improvement in some of its current features.
After past problems with image cropping, including accusations of bias in its algorithms, the company is experimenting by offering a full preview of images, avoiding performing cropping.
Now testing on Android and iOS: when you Tweet a single image, how the image appears in the Tweet composer is how it will look on the timeline –– bigger and better. pic.twitter.com/izI5S9VRdX
— Support (@Support) March 10, 2021
Twitter Support said in a tweet: “Now testing on Android and iOS: when you tweet a single image, how the image appears in the Tweet composer is how it will look on the timeline -bigger and better.”
It will apply to all those images that offer a normal aspect ratio, although as Dantley Davis, Twitter’s design director, points out, those images that are super wide or super tall will have a crop, but that yes, this crop will be weighted around the center.
Additionally, it is also testing the loading of higher resolution images, also on Android and iOS, for which they point out that:
“Have a collection of higher resolution photos waiting to be shared? We’re testing ways for you to upload and view 4K images on Android and iOS. If you’re in the test, update your high-quality image preferences in the “Data usage” settings to get started.”
These two tests are looking to improve the capabilities for sharing and viewing media on Twitter, though there’s no sign of them coming to the web as well at the moment, focusing on mobile for the time being.
In any case, this is excellent news for all those graphic creatives who want to share their work with the world, although in general terms, it will also remove suspicions about the algorithms and the way they work.
