WASHINGTON — Twitter on Tuesday started offering a new way to tweet, in an attempt to make its users more comfortable getting involved in online conversations.
The company said its new ephemeral tweets, which are called “Fleets” because of their fleeting nature, are designed to try and diminish the concerns of new users who might be turned off by the public and permanent nature of normal tweets.
Twitter on Tuesday said Fleets are "for sharing momentary thoughts – they help start conversations and only stick around for 24 hours."
Fleets can't be retweeted and they won't have “likes” or public replies. The only way to react to a Fleet is through a direct message.
Twitter said, "this format may sound familiar to you." It's reminiscent of Instagram and Facebook “stories” and Snapchat's snaps, which let users post short-lived photos and messages.
Fleets can be customized with text, reactions to tweets, various background options or photos and videos. Twitter said they will appear at the top of followers' home timeline, and anyone who can see a profile can view a Fleet too.
Fleets were originally tested in Brazil, Italy, India and South Korea before being available in the United States. In the coming days, everyone globally will have Fleets on Twitter for iOS and Android, Twitter said.
Learn more about how Fleets work here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.