TWITTER IS TESTING out a new feature which shows local tweets to users.
The experiment, called Nearby, displays tweets posted by users in the same area, regardless of whether you follow them or not.
The layout of the feed is similar to the check-in service Foursquare, with the top part of the page showing a map with icons.
The bottom half shows a timeline of recent nearby tweets which match with the icons above. Tapping on an icon pulls the corresponding tweet to the front of the screen.
The feature has appeared for users who allow Twitter to see and use their location. Users must activate location sharing first before it’s allowed, and such a feature could convince more users to activate it.
The idea is that the tweets displayed will be more relevant to users since they’re local. It would also provide context for events happening in the area in real-time such as protests or accidents.
Twitter usually tests out new features with small groups before rolling them out to the general public. The company said that because the majority of its users access Twitter from smartphones, it would be testing out new features first on mobile.
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