Tweetbot is no new entry to the market, Tapbots (its creator) released it first into the App Store back in April 2011 and we reviewed it back when it launched . But since then it has become better and better, and grown higher and higher in the charts (aided by the release of the official Twitter 4 client). Earlier this week,Tapbots revealed Tweetbot 2, along with the iPad version.
Follow on to see what’s new in this free update to Tweetbot!
The Design
Those of you who have used Tweetbot before will have no trouble using the new version, and at first glance may even find it difficult to notice the changes. For the most part, the design has remained unchanged, and the classic custom UI is still there. There is some debate as to whether the design is too “heavy.” While there is an element of truth to that discussion, I don’t find it too distracting and it certainly helps distinguish itself from the thousands of other twitter apps out there.
Old "New tweets" banner on left, new and more subtle one on right
On the whole, the new UI feels fresher cleaner than before. For example, when new tweets come in, rather than a big in your face blue bar, you get a more subtle one displaying the number of tweets. Retweets are also displayed within tweets themselves, rather than as an additional line as before.
New DM design (left), image previews (right)
You’ll also notice the DM section has been redesigned to look more akin to Apple’s messaging app, making it easier to track conversations. One addition I specifically enjoy is that linked images are shown in a small preview box on the tweet — so you know what you’re going to be seeing before you tap on it — not to mention that it gives a larger and more convenient tapping location.
Features
The new Tweetbot’s update certainly isn’t limited to design alterations; there are many tasty new features to sink your teeth into.
Blue indicates the links are tapable
First and most notably, links and users are now accessible directly, eliminating the need to tap on the individual tweet beforehand to expand it. This makes a surprising amount of difference to using previous versions, and makes the experience much easier. The whole app just seems simpler to use when clickable links are just one tap away.
Normal vs Readability view
Another new feature included is when directed to the in-app browser there is the option to turn of Readability mode. This will strip down the website you are on, removing ads and other distractions, bringing the focus solely onto the reading content. This is accessed by a small toggle on the dark bottom bar. For the most part, I’ve found this to be very reliable, however there are occasions when this view doesn’t work, when it doesn’t know what to focus on or there are too many other elements. Nonetheless, its a great feature and very welcome, especially when it comes to long reads.
The Other Stuff
Tweetbot 2 seems to have had a general performance enhancement. Scrolling, opening the browser and of course clicking on links are all accomplished more quickly and smoothly. The app was not lacking features in its 1.x versions, and those features still remain. For example, Tweetbot was one of the first twitter clients to include Tweet Marker — an incredibly useful tool that will sync where you got to when you leave, so when you return to another app with Tweet Marker enabled it will bring you back to that position. The very useful gestures and sounds are all still present, making sure that the app hasn’t lost any of its notorious Tapbot identity.
Conclusion
Overall, Tweetbot was certainly one of the best Twitter clients for the iPhone, and this recent update has brought about a series of great new features that improve it even more. The app is very speedy and with tools like Tweet Marker, single link tap and the image preview it has quickly become my favourite Twitter app for the iPhone (and iPad now). If you’ve been holding back, I suggest now is the time you give it a try.