4 Twitter Changes You’ll Want to Know About Now Right Now

With over 313 million monthly active users, Twitter ranks right up there as one of the most loved and well-known social media platforms on the planet. It already sports a number of useful features but there’s always room for more and Twitter’s developers are happy to deliver.

Take a look at some new changes that are already available and what’s around the corner.

1. Verified Accounts

Verified Twitter accounts used to be something only elite account holders could nab, but now all that has changed. Twitter recently announced a verification application process that’s available to all active Twitter users.

Though some say the designation is purely a vanity move with no real value, verified accounts actually have a lot to offer to people who spend a lot of time on the social platform. In particular, advanced notification filters and Direct Message settings give users more granular control over what content they see, and may help reduce incidents of cyberbullying.

2. Sporting event live streams

In the wake of a successful live stream of Wimbledon, Twitter's inked deals to do the same with MLB, NHL, and select NFL and college games.

But before you chuck your TV out the window and spring for a smartphone with a larger screen, be aware that not all games will be viewable on the social media network.

NFL live streams are currently restricted to Thursday night games while weekly MLB and NHL games are freely available only for out-of-market viewers.

Meanwhile, the NBA recently agreed to broadcast exclusive live content on Twitter. A weekly pre-game show is set to premiere soon, with a second live original program already under development. The NBA has also promised to double the amount of game highlights it shares on Twitter and its video counterpart, Vine.

And sporting event broadcasts on Twitter are likely to be just the tip of the live-stream iceberg. The social network has also broadcast the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and recently announced a partnership to feature several Bloomberg TV programs in the coming months.

3. New iOS tweet composer

Twitter's also testing a redesign of the tweet composer in its iOS app to make it more user friendly.

According to Mashable:

“The new look causes the app to behave more like Twitter's website, which also has both a compose window and button. The redesign puts the tweet composer at the top of your timeline, along with the camera icon for adding a photo, video or live stream.”

It's still in the experimental phase, so there’s no guarantee the changes will make it into a live version, or that similar could be adapted for its Android app, but Twitter has acknowledged that it is tinkering with the composer’s design to make it easier to use while browsing the service.

4. Overall brand refresh

As Twitter grows, it’s only natural that its branding matures as well. The 10-year old company’s marketing is getting a much-needed polish with videos and ads designed to help new users learn their way around the service.

Twitter’s new tagline, “See what’s happening” encapsulates the answer to one of the most prevalent questions people have about the popular social network - “What can I do on Twitter?” The answer, of course, is see what’s happening nearby and in the world.