A new build of Twitter‘s alpha app brings a significantly redesigned user interface (UI) that features a large number of rounded elements, including buttons, profile pictures, and numerous icons, one user running the experimental version of the Android app discovered. While the source noticed the change in the app version 6.50.0-alpha.557, it’s currently unclear whether that particular build introduced the new UI or if the change was rolled out through a server-side switch. Still, considering the number of interface changes that the new design brings, it’s likely that the San Francisco-based social media giant debuted the new UI through a client-side update. In addition to rounding the majority of the app’s visual elements, the change also encompasses icons in the top navigation bar of the app’s feed, with all icons now featuring a more minimalist design that makes them look thinner.
Apart from a plethora of visual changes, the update seemingly doesn’t ship with any new features or functional tweaks, and it may also not be available to all users running the alpha version of the app as Twitter has a history of region-specific tests, even on its alpha channel. The Californa company previously said that it’s in the process of refocusing its efforts on video content in an effort to differentiate from its competitors and improve user acquisition and retention rates, meaning it may be looking to design a new user interface that’s more suitable for browsing a large volume of video content. While the newly introduced experimental interface doesn’t fulfill that goal, it may be the first step toward a major redesign of the app, though it also may never leave the alpha channel.
Twitter has yet to officially announce the redesign of the alpha version of its service for Android devices, and it may never do so given the company’s track record with experimental features that are introduced and scrapped relatively frequently. Users interested in trying out the new interface can join the app’s alpha channel and hope that the redesign is live in their territory. An update on Twitter’s design-related endeavors will likely follow later this year.
