Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR) announced on Thursday that it will no longer support a standalone Windows app for TweetDeck starting April 15. Its users now will have to visit TweetDeck on the web, which the company assured did not change.
The microblogging site commented that the only thing changing is where Windows users access TweetDeck from. Besides that, they said that the move is geared towards “enhancing your TweetDeck experience,” Amy Zima, a Twitter product manager, wrote in the company blog post.
“To better focus on enhancing your TweetDeck experience, we will no longer support a standalone Windows app,” said Zima in the release.
TweetDeck was acquired by Twitter in 2011, and in recent years, it has cut back on app support to focus on its web presence. The San Francisco-based company officially pulled the plug on TweetDeck for Android and iPhone, as well as the Adobe AIR desktop version, in 2013, as reported by CNET.
However, the Mac version, recently updated, is still available in the Mac Store and in the Chrome version. Twitter has not emitted any comment regardless other operating systems.
Twitter also said that TweetDeck users will be automatically logged into the web service if they are already logged into their Twitter account on the desktop.
Getting back the interest
Twitter is not the epitome of trendy and up-to-the-minute source of information that once was. The consolidation is another attempt to renew interest in its services, as users currently have many options to stay informed and in contact with friends and celebrities, like an expansive and always renewing Facebook or other alternatives such as Instagram and Snapchat.
The changes and effect on people can be reflected in the growth the company had last year. Users growth for Twitter has declined almost to a halt. In the fourth quarter, it had 320 million monthly active users, the same as the preceding quarter.
Focusing on attracting new users, the service has been working to freshen the look and functions of the social network, which turns 10 years old on Monday. Recently, it introduced new features like “Moments,” which curates tweet, videos and images of major trending events like sports and breaking news.
Source: Twitter