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Twitter’s Jack Dorsey says support for tweet editing is needed, but implementation questions remain

A variety of changes have come to Twitter during 2016, but one capability that the company has yet to add despite requests from users is an edit button. Twitter is one of few social networks that doesn’t allow users to edit their content once it’s been shared, but now the company’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, says that an edit functionality is definitely needed…

In response to a tweet, Dorsey stated that he believes an edit button is “definitely needed.” While some have called on Twitter to only add the edit capability for verified users, Dorsey stated that all Twitter users should get the functionality, not just those with the coveted check mark.

As to how exactly an edit function would work, it seems that Dorsey himself isn’t entirely sure. In another tweet, Dorsey asked a user if the edit button should be there constantly, or only for a certain amount of time after a tweet has been posted. The idea here is whether the edit button should be for quick typo fixes or for substantial content changes.

If the edit button allowed for anything more than typo fixes, Dorsey said that a revision history would need to be shown, allowing users to see what was changed from the initial post.

Now, just because Dorsey tweeted his support for the idea, doesn’t mean we’ll see it anytime soon. It’d be a rather simple feature to add, so there’s clearly some sort of internal debate at Twitter about whether or not it’s a capability that should exist.

Twitter has made several changes throughout 2016, some well-received and some not so much. The company has heightened its focus on live video with Periscope, changed the criteria for the 140-character limit for tweets, tested not showing @ names in replies, and more.

What do you think, should Twitter implement an edit functionality? If so, should it be there infinitely or only for a brief window of time for typo corrections? Let us know in the comments!

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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