What are fleets? New Twitter feature explained, how to use them and how to turn them off
2 min readTwitter has launched a new feature called “fleets”, its answer to the stories you see on Instagram and Snapchat.
The social media company had previously tested the feature in Brazil, Italy, India, and South Korea, but has now released it worldwide.
Fleets automatically delete after 24 hours. They cannot be retweeted, liked or replied to publicly.
Twitter’s design director wrote in a blog post: “Some of you tell us that tweeting is uncomfortable because it feels so public, so permanent, and like there’s so much pressure to rack up retweets and likes.
“Because they disappear from view after a day, fleets help people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings.”
What are fleets?
Fleets get their name because they are meant to be fleeting, momentary thoughts.
They live at the top of the app, like Instagram’s stories, and can be viewed by clicking on an account’s avatar.
Someone’s fleets can also be viewed by clicking on their avatar on their profile page.
A fleet can include text, videos, gifs, or photos. You can reply to a fleet by tapping on “send a message” or the emoji icon at the bottom of a fleet.
If you have open DMs, anyone can react to your fleets. If you have closed DMs, only people you follow can react to your fleets.
Twitter spokeswoman Liz Kelley has said fleets are subject to the same rules as tweets. They can be reported, and also flagged as misleading, as Twitter has started doing to some tweets.
How do I fleet?
To send a fleet, click on your own avatar in the top left of the home screen.
You can customise your fleets with various background and text options.
You can also share a tweet in a fleet by tapping the “share” icon at the bottom of the tweet and then hitting “share in fleet”.
Soon, stickers and live broadcasting will also be available in fleets.
Fleet authors can see who views their fleets, including accounts with protected tweets, by clicking into their fleets and tapping on the “seen by” text at the bottom.
