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. Under the new owner, Elon Musk, the character count has increased even more for premium account users.
Users on X like longer tweets because they provide more detailed information and allow for greater expression of thoughts and ideas. Longer tweets can share complex messages and engage the audience effectively.
Additionally, they enable users to include additional context and nuance in their posts, which can lead to more meaningful engagements.
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.
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Did 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. He said that “Twitter will soon add ability to attach long-form text to tweets, ending absurdity of notepad screenshots.
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 heck of a long post.
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.
What Counts For Twitter Character Counts?
Twitter’s character count rules are pretty straightforward but have a few twists. Each tweet can hold up to 280 characters, and every character counts.
- That includes letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces.
- Emojis are fun and add color to tweets, but each one takes up to two characters.
- Links make tweets powerful with external references, yet they eat up 23 characters, no matter how long they are.
So, think wisely. Crafting a tweet is a balancing act between words and these extra elements. Every emoji or link you add takes space, leaving less room for your message.
Understanding this helps craft posts on X that punch through without getting cut off.
Why Emojis Count May Vary
Some emojis on X count as more than one character because they use more complex encoding. Unlike simple text, many emojis are made of multiple Unicode scalars to show different colors, genders, or skin tones.
This added complexity changes how they’re counted in the character limit. For instance, a flag emoji or a family emoji combines several smaller emojis, which means they take up more space than you’d think.
So next time you’re posting on X, keep an eye on how many characters those cute icons are eating up in your message.
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.
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. X is going to be competing with YouTube for videos in the future as Elon Musk discussed it.
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.
(You need a subscription to view analytics today.)
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 to get the Twitter character count:
- 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.
- Thread Creator – This allows you to check your tweet length exactly as it will appear on Twitter X. It is free to use for one account and $15/mo. for unlimited X accounts.
- Pallyy – Another free tool you can use to check your Twitter character count.
The Edit Button
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.
Your Turn: The Twitter Character Count, Better or Worse?
How are you using the full 280-character count on Twitter? Have you tried the 10,000-character tweet yet?
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 on Twitter today @lisapatb
FAQS: Twitter Character Count
Do hashtags count in the Twitter character count?
Yes, hashtags do count in the total character count.
How many characters can you have in a tweet with a free account?
You can have up to 280 characters with a free account.
How many characters are allowed with a Blue subscription?
You can tweet up to 10,000 characters now with a Twitter Blue account.
Does the Twitter character count include spaces?
Yes, spaces count toward the final character count of a tweet.
Are links included in the number of characters in a tweet?
No, links do not count in the total number of tweet characters.
What was the original length of a tweet?
The original length of characters was 140.
When did Twitter up the count to 280?
They upped the amount from 140 to 180 back in 2017.
*Twitter today is called X but many still refer to it as Twitter. Tweets are now called posts but many still refer to them as tweets. I use the terms interchangeably.