Skip to main content

Twitter’s mobile-inspired dark mode desktop makeover isn’t just about looks

Twitter.com is looking a little more like the Twitter made for smartphone screens. On Monday, July 15, the social media platform rolled out a heavily anticipated redesign, bringing some of the tools of the app to the desktop experience, along with adding customization options, including a new dark mode. Twitter says the updated web platform is rolling out beginning today.

Recommended Videos

Twitter’s new look brings several features that will feel familiar for users of the mobile app. The Explore section of the Twitter app, which curates a collection of tweets and live video based on your interests and even physical location from accounts you don’t yet follow, is now part of the left-hand side navigation bat that also houses quick access to messages and your profile page. Bookmarks also make their twitter.com debut, while lists are also now faster to access from within that same navigation bar.

Tapping on the messages icon from that left sidebar opens a redesigned home for Direct Messages. Now, Twitter says the Direct Messages page allows users to see conversations and send messages without switching between screens.

The heavily anticipated dark mode also arrives with the redesign, though as an option that doesn’t ditch the old blue background either. The display settings now include the familiar “dim” dark mode the white text on a dark blue background, along with a new “lights out” option for white text on a black background. Twitter also added new themes to change the icons and design aspects that use Twitter’s iconic blue to another hue.

Both the dark mode and new color options are accessible within a few clicks by tapping on the more at the bottom of that new left navigation bar, then clicking on display. The same settings are also available from the display options inside the Settings menu.

The update also makes switching between accounts easier, using a quick log out option in the left navigation bar.

While the update brings a new look, new features and a handful of shortcuts, Twitter says the update is also designed to offer faster performance. But the company isn’t done making changes either — Twitter says the redesign also creates a better foundation for future updates to the platform.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Fashion Week isn’t about models anymore — it’s about the influencers
Charli D’Amelio

TikTok megastar Charli D'Amelio at Milan Fashion Week Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images for Prada

The most viral moment of Milan Fashion Week last year was when Italian designer Donatella Versace stoked the nostalgia of the internet. She arranged for iconic '90s-era models, including Shalom Harlow and Stephanie Seymour, to walk down the runway, in turn creating a calculated social media event.  

Read more
The judge in the T-Mobile merger trial isn’t interested in a drawn-out affair
t mobile sprint merger ceo

The trial that ultimately decides whether T-Mobile and Sprint can merge began in a Manhattan federal court Monday, and it's clear that the presiding judge isn't interested in a lengthy affair. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero asked both sides to skip opening arguments to begin questioning witnesses immediately, and trim their witness lists.

Marrero, who has also presided over high-profile cases including the legality of the Patriot Act and Trump's tax returns, said he didn't want to be "beaten over the head" with testimony, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Read more
I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened
An Instagram profile on an iPhone.

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.

Read more