TWITTER: You Can Finally Write Longer Tweets

Twitter has made a long-awaited update by changing the way it counts the 140 characters in tweets.

The new policy, first announced in May, now factors in certain add-ons, including pictures, into a message's length. 

Attachments such as photos, GIFs and videos, as well as quoted tweets, will no longer be counted as part of the 140 characters, enabling users to cram in more words.

'Say more about what's happening! Rolling out now,' said an official tweet from San Francisco-based Twitter.

Twitter will also be adding a new button to enable users to retweet and quote their own tweets.

The move comes as Twitter's efforts to increase its user base and engagement have been sputtering, raising questions about its growth trend as it seeks to keep pace in the fast-moving world of social media.

The latest move eases but does not eliminate the 140-character limit, which was put in place due to mobile phone text messaging constraints when Twitter launched in 2006.

Analysts have said Twitter needs to find new ways to boost its appeal beyond a core of celebrities, politicians and journalists, with its user base stagnant for the past year.

In its last quarterly update, Twitter said the number of monthly active users edged up to 313 million, up three per cent from a year ago and only slightly more than the 310 million in the prior quarter.

Twitter has yet to post a profit, even as it has ramped up its efforts in advertising.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk