Twitter to Drop Handles and Media Attachments From 140-Character Limit - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Twitter to Drop Handles and Media Attachments From 140-Character Limit

by

twitterlogoTwitter announced today that it will be making a number of expected changes to simplify tweets over the coming months.

First and foremost, when replying to a tweet, Twitter handles such as @MacRumors will no longer count toward the 140-character limit. Media attachments, like photos, GIFs, videos, polls, and Quote Tweets, will also no longer be counted.

The changes should provide Twitter users, including brands and websites, with more characters for actual text and article headlines.

Meanwhile, new non-reply tweets that begin with a username will now reach all of a user's followers, eliminating the need to use the ".@" convention to broadcast a tweet widely. Last, Twitter users will be able to Retweet and Quote Tweet their own tweets.

Twitter expects the changes to have a significant impact on tweets, so the microblogging service aims to provide its developer partners with time to make any needed updates to products built using the Twitter API.

Tag: Twitter

Top Rated Comments

ipedro Avatar
136 months ago
The decision to drop the .@ convention is a bad decision. People have different groups of friends on Twitter. My Rugby frinds don't need to know what I'm saying to my friends from when I was at or vice versa. Neither of those groups will want to have the tweets I send to Photography friends suddenly forced into their timelines. This will clog up peoples' timelines with stuff they're not interested in. Plus, it will become even easier for online trolls and bullies to whip up a frenzy by broadcasting their abuse to all their followers automatically. Twitter need to re-think this part o their proposed changes.
It's only for new tweets. If I tweet @Gaspode67 should read more closely before commenting it'll reach all of my followers because it's simply a tweet that begins with a handle, not a reply. If I reply to a tweet with @Gaspode67 ok, meet you on the pitch then it will not show to all of my followers unless they follow both of us, as it worked before.

With these updates, Twitter is eliminating the need to be a twitter geek with knowledge of insider tricks in order to use the service. A lot of this twitter code turns people off. And even though I've been on Twitter from the beginning and know all of these tricks, I'll appreciate a cleaner timeline with less code and more content.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petertretyakov Avatar
136 months ago
class Tweet < ActiveRecord::Base
validates :content, length: { maximum: 150 }
end

You're welcome ))
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
136 months ago
The decision to drop the .@ convention is a bad decision. People have different groups of friends on Twitter. My Rugby frinds don't need to know what I'm saying to my friends from when I was at or vice versa. Neither of those groups will want to have the tweets I send to Photography friends suddenly forced into their timelines. This will clog up peoples' timelines with stuff they're not interested in. Plus, it will become even easier for online trolls and bullies to whip up a frenzy by broadcasting their abuse to all their followers automatically. Twitter need to re-think this part o their proposed changes.
I was going to say that's not how it works, but you're right. The .@ convention was perfectly fine, a part of Twitter culture.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
136 months ago
Sooooo theoretically you could spam @ mention every single user on twitter in a single tweet. This sounds like a pretty horrible idea.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gaspode67 Avatar
136 months ago
The decision to drop the .@ convention is a bad decision. People have different groups of friends on Twitter. My Rugby frinds don't need to know what I'm saying to my friends from when I was at or vice versa. Neither of those groups will want to have the tweets I send to Photography friends suddenly forced into their timelines. This will clog up peoples' timelines with stuff they're not interested in. Plus, it will become even easier for online trolls and bullies to whip up a frenzy by broadcasting their abuse to all their followers automatically. Twitter need to re-think this part o their proposed changes.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cerote Avatar
136 months ago
Lol. This is considered breaking news on CNN.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display family lineup feature

Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo. Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
Apple MacBook Pro 14 in with M6 hero

Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip

Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced a refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the M6 chip, upgraded connectivity specifications, and more. The M6 chip in the MacBook Pro features a 12-core CPU with 2 super cores, 4 performance cores, and 6 efficiency cores, paired with a 12-core GPU. This is up from the M5 chip with a 10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency cores, paired with a 10-core GPU. M6...
iPad mini OLED feature 1

Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:47 pm PDT by
While the new iPad mini has an OLED display, the device does not support ProMotion, meaning the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz. ProMotion support would have allowed for the iPad mini's refresh rate to automatically adjust from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, but evidently Apple has kept the feature exclusive to the iPad Pro among iPad...
Latest Stories
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
2 minutes ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
47 minutes ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
2 hours ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
3 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
4 hours ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
4 hours ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
6 hours ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
6 hours ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
6 hours ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
7 hours ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
7 hours ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
8 hours ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
8 hours ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
8 hours ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
10 hours ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
11 hours ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
20 hours ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
1 day ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
1 day ago
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
1 day ago
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
1 day ago
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
1 day ago
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
1 day ago
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
1 day ago
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
1 day ago
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
1 day ago
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
1 day ago
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
1 day ago
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
1 day ago
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
1 day ago