You probably know the “Close Friends” feature on Instagram: you can create a list of people and share stories with only these people. Now, the same concept has been introduced to Twitter: Twitter Circle.
You can create a group with selected accounts and share your tweets only with those individuals. Only those who are in your Twitter Circle can reply to or interact with your posts published in your circle.
In this article, I’m going to give a detailed explanation of Twitter Circle and try to answer all questions that may or will come up to your mind.
What happens when you create a Twitter Circle?
This is a fundamental but good question. Twitter Circle is basically where you select the audience to share your tweets and get interactions. So, this is a way of hiding who follow your Twitter actions.
You are totally free to edit your Twitter Circle at any time. When you remove someone from your Circle, they won’t be notified and won’t be able to see your tweets posted inside this Circle anymore.
Twitter policies about tweets are still applicable for the Twitter Circle feature. So, when you tweet, they must comply with Twitter Rules.
As I said above, when you post a tweet in your Circle, only those who you add can see it. But, this may change in the future. Why am I saying this? Because in its about page, Twitter says, “Currently, only people in your Twitter Circle can view Tweets you post to your circle.”
That “Currently” means there can be a change in the policy. Who knows!
How to tweet in your Twitter Circle
When you click on tweet creation section on Twitter, you can select your audience. You need to select your Twitter Circle.
Then, all you need to do is to create your tweet like it is a regular tweet. You just changed the audience. All other things are the same.
You can post it directly or schedule your tweets for your Twitter Circle.
A notification that indicates that a tweet will be sent to your Circle and only those in your Circle can see it appear on your tweet.
What happens when someone adds me to their Twitter Circle?
First of all, you won’t be notified when you are added to a Twitter Circle. And, if you reply to a tweet shared in a Circle, only those in that Circle can see it.
But, if your account is protected ( Read more about how to protect your tweets: https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/how-to-make-twitter-private-and-public), then only people who follow you can view your replies.
If you think that a tweet or reply shared in a Twitter Circle is against Twitter policies, you can report them immediately.
Didem Ozan
Can I leave a Twitter Circle directly?
The answer is NO. You can’t leave a Twitter Circle directly. But, if you unfollow or block the creator of the Circle, you will be automatically removed from this Circle.
Of course, when you follow this account again or unblock him/her, they can add you to the Circle again.
Also, if you don’t want to see tweets from a specific person in the Twitter Circle, you can simply mute these Twitter accounts.
Zeynep Morelli
Why should I use the Twitter Circle?
We are following and followed by many people on Twitter. But, when we share our thoughts, we may not want them all to see them.
Twitter Circle offers the flexibility of a smaller group on Twitter to share your tweets and receive feedback. And you can control your Circle by adding and removing people. So you will feel more comfortable when publishing your posts.
Who can join a Twitter Circle?
Anyone. You can add any Twitter account you want to your Circle. They don’t need to follow you.
How many people can I add to my Twitter Circle?
You can add up to 150 accounts to your Twitter Circle. So, it going to be really a small group to share. Be selective.
Is it possible to create multiple Twitter Circles?
No, it is not! You will only have one Twitter Circle.
Can Twitter Circle members see the list of users in that Circle?
No, they can’t! A member of a Twitter Circle can’t see the list of the other members of this list.
They can only be aware of their existence when they interact with the tweets ( with replies etc. ) shared in the Circle.
Who can see the tweets shared in Twitter Circle?
Simple, anyone in the Twitter Circle can see posted tweets in that Circle. But, if the author's account is protected, only followers can see its tweets.
Are Twitter Circle and Twitter Communities the same?
No, they aren’t! Twitter Communities are private places where people share their opinions on specific topics with anyone interested in the same subjects.
On the other hand, Twitter Circle is a small group you create to share your tweets privately.
Can Twitter Circle members retweet tweets in the Circle?
No, they can’t! The retweet button is not active for published in a Twitter Circle. But, they can download, take screenshots of this content and share it out of the Twitter Circle.
Can my Twitter friends know when I add them to my Twitter Circle?
No, they can’t! Twitter says, “People won’t be notified when you edit your Twitter Circle,” as it is shown in the picture. And editing contains adding people to your Circle.
What is the difference between creating a Twitter Circle and protecting your Twitter account?
Once you protect your account, only your followers can see your tweets. On the other hand, when you create a Twitter Circle, you can control to who you will share your tweets.
What happens if you don’t use Twitter Circle?
Nothing! You can share your tweets with “Everyone” as you have done so far.
What happens to your Twitter Circle if you deactivate your Twitter account?
Like your tweets, your Twitter Circle will be inaccessible when you deactivate your Twitter account.
Kevin O. Frank
Can new members see previous tweets in a Twitter Circle?
Yes, when a Twitter user is added to a Twitter Circle, he/she can see previous tweets shared in this Circle.
Onur Ciddi
What are the pros and cons of Twitter Circle?
The pros of the Twitter Circle feature are:
1. You can quickly find others who share your interests.
2. You can discuss concepts and revelations with people in your circle.
3. You can establish connections with people who share your interests.
Here are a few drawbacks:
1. The group could be exclusive and small.
2. You might not reach as many people as you would if you tweeted to a wider group of people.
3. Some of the individuals in your network might not be active on Twitter, so they won't see your tweets.
How do you remove someone from your Twitter Circle?
It is so easy. When you edit your Twitter Circle, click on the “Remove” button. So, this account will be removed from your Circle, as it is shown in the image below.
How can you be added to someone’s Twitter Circle?
Twitter Circle is a private group, and its control totally belongs to its creator. So, except for direct requests, there is no hack to be added to someone’s Twitter Circle.
How do you remove people from Twitter Circle without them knowing?
When you remove someone from your Twitter Circle - like adding to it- they won’t be notified. So, when you follow the usual method of removing someone from your Twitter Circle, you would remove them without them knowing.
Is Twitter Circle private?
Twitter Circle is a private group sharing tweets with selected accounts.
Does Twitter Circle allow sharing explicit content?
The same Twitter rules with regular tweets apply to Twitter Circle tweets. So, if your content is against Twitter policies, it won’t be allowed in a Twitter Circle.
If I mention someone who is not in my Twitter Circle, will they be notified?
No, if you mention someone who is not in your Circle in a tweet shared with your Circle, they won’t be notified about your mention. So, you can feel free to mention people who are not in your Circle in your tweets for your Twitter Circle.
How do you check if you are on someone’s Twitter Circle?
Because they are private and you won’t be notified when you are added to, you can’t check if you are in someone’s Twitter Circle.
How can I see someone’s Twitter Circle?
Twitter Circles are private audience groups, so you can’t see someone’s Twitter Circle, and others can’t see yours.
Wrapping Up
Twitter’s new feature, “Twitter Circle, " allows people to build a small group of users ( up to 150 accounts) to share tweets privately. Their tweets can be viewed only by members of their Twitter Circle.
They won't be notified when you add someone to your Circle or remove them. This creates freedom of action when forming Twitter Circles.
It is a new feature, and I believe many additions will be introduced in the future.
Zeynep Morelli
Zeynep Morelli
I. Zulkuf Erkol
