If you hate all the recommended stuff from Twitter and want to customize its app for Windows 10, you need this free extension.
T
witter has been one of the most extensive social networks to embrace the power of Progressive Web Apps (
PWA) – web-based programs that act like native applications but are just KBs in size instead of MBs. Indeed, Twitter recently
switched over to using the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, so when you "install" it from the Microsoft Store, you're just getting a PWA in Edge.
And savvy users of PWAs appreciate this one prominent feature over native apps: you can run any browser extension you want in a PWA, which takes your "apps" to a whole new level. One of those is Tweak New Twitter, and it'll change the way you use the service.
Here's how it works and where to get it.
Tweak New Twitter (TNT) is an extension available on
Chrome,
Firefox, and
Microsoft Edge. It modifies Twitter.com with various options to improve the Twitter experience and make it more enjoyable.
Here are just some of the features:
- Always use the Latest Tweets timeline
- Separate Retweets into a separate column
- Hide "Who to follow" / "Follow some Topics" from the timeline
- Hide sidebar content
- Hide or highlight verified accounts
- Hide specific navigation bar items
There is a lot more, too.
Things like Always use Latest Tweets (instead of curated content by Twitter) is a huge pet peeve by many users as Twitter likes to reset it for users instead of keeping it on all the time.
The rest are personal preferences but significantly streamline the service. Moving Retweets to its own column (or just hide them!) means you get a "pure" feed of just original content instead of some random bits that others found interesting. You can still see the Retweets, but it is now easier to manage as a separate column. Same with hiding "Who to follow" / "Follow some Topics", which removes clutter.
Installing a Microsoft Edge extension is simple:
- Navigate to the Microsoft Edge extension site and download Tweak New Twitter.
- Configure Tweak new Twitter extension options by right-clicking on the icon.
- Close and re-open the Twitter app for Windows 10 for the settings to take effect.
That's it.
As someone who lives on Twitter for work, this extension is a potent and free tool that anyone who users the service will appreciate.
Tweak New Twitter also demonstrates why PWAs are so exciting. You can't run extensions in native apps, altering the behavior – you get what the developer gives you, and that's it. With a PWA, you can run a grammar checker, block ads, force dark mode, alter links, and customize things to your liking. That's a powerful combo, and I'm here for it.
