Twitter's new app 'Moments' brings newsbreaks to users

Marking a major feature since its inception in 2006, Twitter has released new app 'Twitter Moments' for bringing news updates to its users. Twitter Moments tool keeps up the users about news breaks without the need to watch multiple news platforms reducing time and effort. Twitter Moments app works on iOS, Android, and desktop and is initially available for US market only.

Users can also browse topic wise to know the latest happenings. Twitter has partnered with media publishing companies for content sharing, for which it has set up 'Curation Teams' as well.

Just by pressing a new lighting bolt tab incorporated within the apps and from Twitter.com, users can access Twitter Moments app. Readers can choose topic wise sports, business, entertainment, politics, etc. There's an option for going back through a day or two previous days news as well.

Madhu Muthukumar, Twitter's Product Manager, said: "We know finding these only-on-Twitter moments can be a challenge, especially if you haven't followed certain accounts. But, it doesn't have to be." Twitters Moments gives a list of stories for users to choose from. Clicking on the individual story line, users get an introduction to that particular story. If interested, readers can explore further.

Additional images, videos, GIFs, links, tweets, etc, have been stored along with the story. Taking a look at the progress bar at the bottom page indicates how much information is available for each story. Users can also share Moments with followers. 

With the new app, Twitter hopes to get former Twitter users back into its fold. Twitter is expecting existing users, former users and new ones to explore online news experience as good content is available at Twitter Moments. "Our content is rich and amazing source of world's voices," said Muthukumar.

Twitter Moments app has been considered as one of the biggest features, Twitter has added since its establishment in 2006. When major developments happen in anywhere in the world, Moments plays a vital role in spreading it to across the globe. Though it's available in the US only, people from other places can see shared links from the new feature just to know how it works.

Twitter Moments is a long-awaited move into the business of news. Users can access semi-curated news of major news stories. It's estimated that about 500million things people tweet every day. Twitter is a late comer in the online news but expected to make a big impact on the social media.

It's really difficult task of filtering millions of tweets segregating quality ones from junk. Creating lists or following people who actually are newsworthy. Other major news apps include Techmeme, Google News, Flipboard, Pulse, Nuzzel, Upvoted, etc.

It has become a common feature that right from a common man to celebrities, politicians, corporate leaders sharing things and views on Twitter as they happen. To make it more effective, Twitter has set up curation teams that curate news content from other media partners. For this, it has tied up with BuzzFeed, Fox News, Getty Images, Mashable, etc.