News

In A Shock Move, Twitter Adds An Edit Button To Tweets

The social media giant has finally backtracked after years of pressure and will first roll out the new Edit Tweet feature to premium subscribers.

Published

4 years ago

September 2, 2022

Nour Nasir

in a shock move twitter adds an edit button to tweets

It’s taken years of complaints and thousands of desperate pleas from a vocal portion of Twitter’s 237 million active users, but now, the social media giant has finally caved under pressure. After nearly 16 years of sticking to a tried and tested format, Twitter will finally allow users to edit Tweets after posting them.

If it were any other platform, adding such a tiny, seemingly inconsequential feature would largely go unnoticed. Yet, because we’re talking about Twitter here, the move represents one of the most significant changes to the social media landscape since the company doubled the character limit of posts from 140 to 280 way back in 2017.

Many would argue that the lengthier Tweets and new addition of an edit button will change the platform into something it was never meant to be. Certainly, the entire atmosphere of the site will (and already has) changed since its niche beginnings — though it’s always been a place for spicy takes and online brawls.

So why the sudden change of direction? Here’s what the company had to say about the controversial matter:

“We’re hoping that with the availability of Edit Tweet, tweeting will feel more approachable and less stressful. You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you,” says Twitter in an official statement.

Also Read: Truecaller For iPhone Sees Complete Overhaul

We should mention at this point that not everyone will be granted access to this mythical new feature. Employees will first test the edit button; then, it will be added to the accounts of Twitter Blue subscribers. Eventually, Twitter plans to roll out the Edit Tweet feature to its entire user base, though we don’t have any formal word on a date for that.

Users will be allowed to edit Tweets within a 30-minute window of posting, and any changes will trigger a label to be displayed, notifying readers that a change has been made. If the label is clicked, you’ll be able to see a list of edits, so the new feature won’t entirely save you from embarrassing spelling mistakes or attempts to tone down poorly judged online rants.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.