Remember when Twitter announced the character count change in May 2019? It was a big deal at the time, considering that Twitter originally had a 140-character limit. Nowadays, under the new owner, Elon Musk, the character count has increased even more.
Users on X like longer tweets because they provide more detailed information and allow for greater expression of thoughts and ideas. Longer tweets can convey complex messages and engage the audience more effectively.
Additionally, they enable users to include additional context and nuance in their posts, which can lead to more meaningful discussions and interactions.
Overall, longer tweets on X cater to the users’ desire for in-depth content and contribute to a richer and more engaging user experience.
Today, tweets are referred to as posts on the X network.
Table of Contents
Will Elon Musk Increase the Character Count on X?
Elon tweeted out he is looking at expanding the Twitter count and the video length on the social media network.
Twitter will soon add ability to attach long-form text to tweets, ending absurdity of notepad screenshots
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 5, 2022
Elon has made good on his promise for the Twitter Blue Subscribers. Yes, they can now tweet up to 25,000 characters. That sounds like one hell of a long post!
We have increased NoteTweet (aka longform Tweet) limit from 10k to 25k characters. Enjoy longer NoteTweet and happy tweeting! 🥂 https://t.co/7ILGxLAd32
— Prachi Poddar (@imPrachiPoddar) June 20, 2023
280 Character Count: Current Post Count For Non-Paid Users
Twitter had been trying to expand its character count back to at least September 2016 when they allowed images and media not to count toward their old 140-character count. That newer feature was nice as it allowed for more images and media in posts without cramping the tweets.
But the announcement of the 280-character count no longer makes it short and sweet on the beloved Twitter network. Many of us love Twitter for its brevity.
Uniquely it is what makes Twitter so unique among the social networks when Twitter started back in 2006.
What is the Character Count for All Users Today on Twitter X?
The current Twitter character count is 280 characters per post unless you have a Blue Subscription then you can post up to 25,000 characters on Twitter X.
Why Didn’t Twitter Start With Longer Tweets?
Twitter noted that 9% of English tweets went over the old 140-character count. Twitter did note on their blog post about the Twitter 280 character count that many people tried it out and then went back to shorter tweets.
It was a novelty at first that didn’t last a few years back.
They also noticed when people in the test had more characters to tweet that they tweeted more often. People didn’t have to spend so much time editing their tweets to fit with the new character count.
The experimental users reported they did get more engagement on their longer tweets. (More re-tweets, likes, and shares).
One of the alternative social media network Parler allows for a 1,000-character count with their parleys when it was up and running.
The Circle Count for Twitter 280 Character Count
You were able to see an orange circle as you are nearing the end of your Twitter character count to 280. You can see my test tweet while first writing this blog post a few years ago as I was nearing the end of the 280-character count via tweet.
Notice the orange circle at the bottom with #4 in it. That is how many more characters I could have used to complete a 280-character count tweet.
It does look a lot different than the old red minus symbol as you were tweeting to the old 140-character limit on Twitter.
Therefore the new character count does not allow for all of my tweets to be shown in the screenshot either. As you can see the top part of the tweet is cut off.
I really wanted to share how the circle count looked and works for you here. I’d love to hear if it still works for you.
Longer or Shorter Tweets on X?
It’s amazing how much more you can fit with the additional space on a tweet (post) now. There will be many unique ways to use this character count but I would not recommend it for every tweet.
I am thinking shorter tweets may get more recognition now as they will be easier to read in your Twitter stream.
As time has gone on that has not been always been the case. Longer posts on the X stream seem to generate more engagement most of the time.
Of course, adding images and videos help with your engagement on the network.
Will The Longer Twitter Character Count Change Streams?
We may see more tweets in our streams as people experiment with the new character count. Some as Twitter noticed in their test period will tweet more now that they can say more.
Of course, not everyone loves short and sweet in their messages.
But some people prefer to write a novel via a tweet. Especially with the thread features. These threads have become very popular over the past year.
Additionally, it will be interesting to see how these longer tweets will affect your own tweets going forward. Therefore it will be necessary to look at your Twitter analytics to see which tweets are working best for you as you try out the new format.
A note about analytics too, they have been recently updated for Twitter after being down for the update. However, if you have a Blue account they are working fine.
Twitter Character Counter Tools
Now, if you want to schedule your tweets, you can measure if they are within the character count guidelines. However, if you use social media management tools like Agorapulse or Missing Letter, the tools will let you know if you are going over the Twitter count limit.
Here are some free tools you can use as well:
- Character Counter – A free tool to use
- Chirr App – An app to count the length of your tweets
- Microsoft Word – You can use your word program to count words or character counts
What Others Are Saying About The New Twitter Count
The increase of 10,000 to 25,000 characters for Twitter Blue subscribers is an incentive for content creators to move to Twitter from other platforms, offer a subscription, and make money from their writing and reporting.
— James A. Conrad (@James_A_Conrad) June 20, 2023
#Twitter doubles its #CharacterLimit! I wont make use of it in this tweet, but still: it's a whole new world guys! At least for us who use the platform every day. #exciting 🤪🤣 pic.twitter.com/foyiF9VOax
— DW Science (@dw_scitech) November 8, 2017
Interesting to see that the edit button is mentioned as it’s available now for Twitter Blue subscribers. However, it doesn’t work when you reply to tweets. It only allows you to edit from the original tweet itself.
Great Twitter Tip
If you still have only 140 characters per #tweet, close #Twitter, clear all cookies & cachet, restart & Voila! #Zeichen #CharacterLimit #280characters
— Lars Pellinat (@Lars9596) November 7, 2017
This tip may also work with the increased character counts.
Your Turn On The Twitter Character Count
How are you using the full 280-character count on Twitter? Have you tried the 10,000-character tweet yet?
If you want to learn more about using Twitter don’t forget to grab my eBook on Amazon, How to Tweet and Thrive on Twitter.
I’d love to know in the comments below if you like the longer tweets or not. Are you using any Twitter character counter tools? Are you in favor of Elon increasing the count going forward?
Let’s discuss it all below in the comment section.
FAQS
Yes, hashtags do count in the total character count.
You can have up to 280 characters with a free account.
You can tweet up to 10,000 characters now with a Twitter Blue account.
Yes, spaces count toward the final character count of a tweet.
No, links do not count in the total number of tweet characters.
The original length of characters was 140.
They upped the amount from 140 to 180 back in 2017.