A few days ago, Twitter started an experimental feature using which you can control who can reply to your tweets. This is mainly to prevent unknown strangers and trolls from replying to your tweets or leaving hateful comments. You can also use this feature to limit the conversations only to a small group of friends or family members. Now it appears that this new feature has been made available to all the Twitter users. You can also use this new feature for controlling or limiting the people who can leave any replies.
This feature is now available across all the supported platforms – Twitter web app (website), Twitter Android app and the iOS app. When you compose a new tweet, a new option appears under the tweet message labeled – “Everyone can reply”. You can click on this to choose from Everyone can reply, Only people you mention can reply, or only people you follow can reply.
When you choose “Everyone can reply”, anyone to whom your tweets are visible will be able to reply. For public accounts, it includes everyone and for private protected accounts it means your followers. If you have blocked someone then of course they won’t be able to reply.
Similarly, choosing “Only people you follow” ensures that your tweet’s reply option will be disabled to everyone except the people you are following. And the third option “Only people you mention” is even more restricted in which you have to enter all the Twitter handles (beginning with @) of users who can reply to your new tweet.
It is a welcome step from Twitter as it prevents some trolls from abusing others and causing unnecessary headaches. Perhaps we can hope that Twitter will become much more productive and fun social network after this new feature is made available globally to all the Twitter users.