Twitter Launches New Camera Tools to Increase Visual Focus

With pretty much every other social platform now jumping aboard the Stories train, it was really only a matter of time before Twitter took a step in that direction. And while it hasn't gone 'full Stories', Twitter is rolling out a new camera tool which will enable users to capture Stories-like images, complete with overlays and searchable elements, which will open the door for more visual content options on the platform. As you can see in the video, now, when you swipe left from your Twitter timeline, you'll be taken to the new camera, which will enable you to capture an image or video, or even broadcast live straight from Twitter (i.e. without being routed via Periscope). The camera composer will default to the 'Capture' option, which will enable you to take a still image or a short, looping video - up to two-minutes in length - when you hold the button down. Or you can switch across to the 'Live' option. Once you've captured an image or video, you'll be taken to the next phase, where you can add in details of what the image is about, and you'll also be prompted to add in relevant hashtags based on your location (Twitter will scan the region for happening events and recommend tags). Once you tweet your image, those details will be overlaid in a new chyron format, providing more immediate context for the visual, while also appearing larger in user timelines - here's an example from TechCrunch's Josh Constine.