Twitter is starting to test status availability and ice breaker-like tweets, which will roll out as part of a beta program in the coming weeks.
A green bubble will appear beside beta users’ names when they’re actively online and using the app, similar to Instagram’s status indicator, according to new screenshots released by Twitter and first reported by Engadget. Twitter hopes that by seeing someone is online, you’ll be more likely to respond to their tweets and start a conversation.
The other feature Instagram is introducing is “ice breaker” tweets, which are supposed to help start a conversation about a specific topic. Users will be able to post their own ice breakers for others to respond to; screenshots provided by Twitter show...