Twitter has recently made a significant announcement that is set to change the way users access and use TweetDeck. Starting next month, TweetDeck, the popular multi-column version of Twitter, will be put behind a paywall, requiring users to subscribe to Twitter Blue to access its advanced features. This move comes as Twitter continues to impose rate limits on users to restrict the number of tweets they can see in a day.
Twitter has been working on a new design for TweetDeck for quite some time, and the company has officially launched the updated version globally. As part of this transition, Twitter is migrating all users to the new TweetDeck design and discontinuing access to the classic version. The new design brings several exciting features and improvements to enhance the TweetDeck experience.
The old version of TweetDeck has faced several issues recently, making it almost unusable for some users. Columns often displayed a perpetual “Loading…” message, rendering them ineffective. While these empty columns appeared after Twitter implemented rate limits on tweets, Twitter employees have clarified that the rate limits themselves are not the cause of the problems with the old TweetDeck.
According to Twitter employees, the issues with the old version of TweetDeck are a result of Twitter removing legacy APIs to prevent data scraping. The rate limits only apply to the new TweetDeck and Twitter, as the old version relies on legacy APIs that have been eliminated to reduce scraping. This clarification dispels the misconception that rate limits were responsible for the problems experienced by users of the old TweetDeck.
Features of the updated TweetDeck website
Twitter has highlighted the following key features of the updated TweetDeck website:
- Seamless transition: All saved searches, lists, and columns from the classic version will carry over to the new TweetDeck. Upon loading the application for the first time, users will be prompted to import their columns.
- Enhanced tweet composer: The new Tweet composer in TweetDeck allows users to create threads, add photos, videos, GIFs, polls, emojis, and even schedule tweets.
- Twitter Spaces support: TweetDeck now supports Twitter Spaces, enabling users to participate in and host audio conversations within the app.
- Advanced search: The updated TweetDeck includes advanced search functionality, making it easier to find specific content on Twitter.
- Tweet order control: Users can now choose to view top tweets or the latest tweets first in their columns, giving them more control over their TweetDeck experience.
- Decks for organisation: The introduction of Decks allows users to organise their columns into groups, providing a cleaner and more organised workspace.
- Intuitive column creation: The new Column Creator offers a more user-friendly way to create columns and includes the ability to search Twitter directly from within a column. Users can create various column types, such as profiles, topics, explore, events, moments, and bookmarks.
- Video Docking: With Video Docking, users can watch videos while performing other tasks, such as accessing content in the same column or changing Decks.
Migration to the new TweetDeck design
Twitter has begun the process of migrating all users to the new TweetDeck design, completely discontinuing access to the old version. The company states that these changes have been implemented to reduce scraping of Twitter data. However, this transition comes with a notable drawback – the new version of TweetDeck does not currently support Teams functionality. Teams allow multiple users to manage multiple accounts and share access without sharing passwords. Twitter has assured users that Teams functionality will be temporarily unavailable but will be restored in the coming weeks.

TweetDeck behind the paywall
In a move that may disrupt workflows for many users, Twitter has announced that TweetDeck will only be available for free for the next 30 days. After this grace period, users must be Verified, meaning they must subscribe to Twitter Blue to continue accessing TweetDeck. This decision places TweetDeck behind a paywall and requires users to pay for a Twitter Blue subscription to enjoy its advanced features and multi-column interface.
Twitter plans to initiate the transition process for all users to the new TweetDeck design starting this week. However, some users have expressed their concerns and dissatisfaction with the new version, recalling their experiences with the TweetDeck Preview in 2021, which they did not find appealing. Despite these concerns, Twitter is moving forward with the launch of the new TweetDeck.
As the transition to the new TweetDeck design progresses, it remains to be seen how users will embrace these changes and adapt to the paywall model for accessing TweetDeck’s advanced capabilities.
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