Home Now Twitter Looks Nice Even on Your Crappy Feature Phone

Now Twitter Looks Nice Even on Your Crappy Feature Phone

When we talk about the mobile Web and apps, we’re almost always talking about smartphones. Android and iOS and their competitors are getting most of the innovation these days, but it’s worth recalling that less than half of American adults currently own a smartphone. Many of the rest of us are still toting around simple feature phones with much more basic capabilities. But that doesn’t mean those folks don’t want to use Twitter, too.

It’s with this reality in mind that Twitter has updated its mobile Web site to cater to non-smartphone-owning Tweeters. Now somebody carrying around a Nokia feature phone, for example,  will have an experience using Twitter that is much more akin to how an iPhone user would see it in mobile Safari. The design is adapted from the “new Twitter” redesign that rolled out late last year. 

This is certainly an improvement from a user-experience standpoint, and it also makes the service a bit more accessible and consistent overall. 

The goal is to “make Twitter the most accessible way to connect with the world, even with the weakest signals and the simplest devices,” writes Twitter VP of Product Satya Patel. 

Unlike many of the service’s competitors, the team behind Twitter has been mindful of the needs of feature phone owners since day one. When Twitter launched, smartphone penetration was a fraction of what it is today and using Twitter via SMS messages was central to its early product development. 

Smartphone adoption has grown rapidly, of course, but feature phones won’t disappear in the U.S. overnight.

There’s also the rest of the planet. As mobile phone usage grows in the developing world, basic feature phones are often all that most people can afford, so they use them for multiple forms of communication and to access basic websites. And just because people don’t have smartphones, doesn’t mean they don’t want to take advantage of Twitter, for everything from social networking to political activism.

Twitter’s new feature-phone-friendly site can be accessed from Web-connected feature phones by navigating to mobile.twitter.com.

Lead photo by Stuart Frisby

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.