Twitter is reportedly working on a feature that will allow users to set their status, codenamed “Vibe.”Possible features are first discovered By Jane Manchun Wong, a researcher and reverse engineer with a track record of breaking upcoming app updates.
The screenshot shared by Wong shows the “Set Status” field above the edit box for the tweet. A drop-down list has five preset vibes, none of which sound interesting, including “Shopping for groceries” and “Driving the highway.” It’s unclear if the status will be limited to presets, or if users will be able to add custom updates beyond those created by Twitter.
Twitter is working on ‘Set Status’ in Tweet Composer, codenamed ‘Vibe’
You can think of it as a status similar to the Instagram Threads app pic.twitter.com/TGXH4uVe8Z
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) April 22, 2022
The status feature is somewhat reminiscent of the “feel” that Facebook attaches to posts, which Wong compared to the statuses on the now-defunct Instagram Threads messaging app.
Vibes can have their own posts on a per-tweet basis, or at the profile level, with status displayed on tweets and profile views. Twitter users who attend a meeting or live stream of an event have often changed their display name to show what they’re doing, so profile-level status can mimic this practice.
Image via @wongmjane
in images shared with edgea screenshot of Wong’s profile showing a placeholder state, using mock data displayed below her display name (to Twitter employees and colleagues at AG Cook: hello!).
Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, and it’s unclear when, if at all, the feature will go live. However, if custom states do become an option, many other questions arise, such as what states are allowed and how to moderate bad vibes.
