Twitter makes website redesign official — and no, you can’t opt out

Twitter’s big website redesign is here — and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Almost a year after the company began testing it, “new Twitter” is being turned on for all users. And unlike in earlier versions of the redesign, you no longer have the option to switch back to “legacy Twitter.”

That alone is probably enough to send some users into a panic. Still, the redesign should be familiar enough to mobile users, as its added features basically make twitter.com much more like the Twitter app.

And no, sorry, there’s still no way to edit tweets.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed that while it will take a few days for the design to change for everyone on Twitter.com, there will be no going back.

If you haven’t seen the earlier test versions of the new design, the most jarring change will be getting used to the fact that almost nothing is in the same place as before. The site’s main navigation is now on the left side of the page, where you can move between your timeline, notifications, and direct messages. The trending section has moved to the righthand column; the Moments tab is no more. 

The redesign also adds Bookmarks to the website  for the first time, alongside Explore, the personalized section where you can browse popular trends and other recommendations. 

Another big change is to direct messages, which no longer pop up in a tiny window on top of your timeline. Instead, your inbox has its own section of the site — although, bafflingly, you still can’t search your messages. 

There’s also the “sparkle” button, which lets you toggle between the regular reverse chronological timeline and “Home,” where the algorithm curates your tweets. If you use multiple Twitter accounts, you can switch between them without logging out and back in each time. Dark mode, 2019’s most popular feature, is still around. Whew.

Twitter users aren’t exactly known for handling change particularly well; they once revolted over the addition of a single blue dot. And reactions to early versions of the redesign have been mixed. 

So the fact that the new look will no longer be optional is likely to garner some heated reactions, to say the least. 

Better buckle up; the only way to opt out of this ride is to quit Twitter altogether.