Twitter tests breaking news notifications to keep users up-to-date
Twitter is testing push notifications for breaking news alerts to keep followers abreast of stories relevant to their feed. Users who want to know more can click on the alert and will be directed to a Moments section, featuring curated tweets. It is the latest attempt from Twitter to find new ways of engaging with its audience as it struggles to compete in the social media market.
Twitter has been testing breaking news notifications to keep its users up-to-date with the most recent news relevant to them.



The social network first played with the idea last month when Fidel Castro died – sending a notification to a test group of users – but now seems to moving towards a more widespread roll out of the feature, after pushing Monday’s Berlin Christmas market truck crash.



According to BuzzFeed, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed that it ‘has been sending these breaking news alerts as part of a larger test notifying users about real-time content appearing on the platform’.



The notification prompts users to tap for more information and, if this is done, takes them to the app’s Moments section – which provides the most relevant curated tweets about the news event in a specialised feed.



As mentioned, this is currently just a test for Twitter and whether the feature will be rolled out to all users remains to be seen. Most of Twitter’s news following users would already have push notifications activated from their favourite news outlets – which makes it unlikely Twitter will be able to update them as quickly.



Twitter seems to be desperately seeking ways to keep itself alive and relevant in the social media world, as it continues to struggle.