Did you read about the Twitter 280 character count announcement way back in May 2019? It was on Twitter via a tweet of course. They also did a blog post about it as they were releasing it to all of its Twitter users. But how many Twitter characters can you actually use toward the Twitter character count? It was a big change when Twitter first started with a 140-character count. Today the Twitter character count may go even higher under Elon Musk. 
Will Elon Musk Increase The Twitter Character Count?
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
280 Character Count Is The Current Count
Twitter has 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.
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.
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).
The newer social media network Parler allows for a 1,000-character count with their parleys.
The New Circle Count for Twitter 280 Character Count
Now you will 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 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 my readers here.
Longer or Shorter Tweets?
It’s amazing how much more you can fit with the additional space on a tweet 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. I’ll be testing and watching how this really plays out in the coming weeks.
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Will Twitter 280 Character Count Change Our Twitter 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. Thankfully, they did not go with 10,000 characters as once reported.
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.
Twitter Character Counter Tools
Now, if you want to schedule your tweets, you can measure if they are within the character count guidelines.
- 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
There are several Twitter character counter tools you can use for free.
What Others Are Saying About The New Twitter Count
#Twitter officially expanded its character count from 140 to 280 today! I don’t know what to do with myself! I’m used to writing cleanly & concisely on Twitter and as a broadcast journalist. Now, I may just start to ramble because I have so many characters left! Bla, bla, bla
— Janelle Wang (@janellewang) November 8, 2017
How are we feeling about having #280characters in a tweet, people?
??
Mixed feelings here:
– more room = more space to communicate
– but too much space = not being concise or getting to the pointTake the poll and let me know your thoughts!#Twitter #twitter280 #social
— Steve Ash (@CommsBreakdown) November 8, 2017
#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
#Twitter users find creative ways to fill the new #280characters limit – but they really JUST WANT AN EDIT BUTTON…! https://t.co/0KqHPELUhv pic.twitter.com/ppRGahWRtJ
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) November 8, 2017
To Point Out More on the 280 Character Count
Hi Lisa, I had family dinner yesterday. How was yours? I have not tried the new longer tweet option yet! But it looks like there’s now plenty of space for writing more words…. pic.twitter.com/o5VWAJTecN
— Erik Emanuelli (@ErikEmanuelli) November 8, 2017
No problem! TBH, I think Twitter needs to be more innovative than adjusting character count…!
— Dan Purvis (@DanPurvis) November 8, 2017
All these tweets with #280characters are giving me a headache…I’ll go on facebook if I wanna read essays. 140 characters required talent – don’t ruin it
— Abbey (@AbbeyDalton24) November 8, 2017
Checking the new #Twitter limit if it is working now for more characters. Have you tried it out yet? Twitter announced today it is open for all to use the 280 character count vs. The old 140 character count. You can tweet away more now. ???????
I prefer short & sweet.— Lisa ??? (@Lisapatb) November 8, 2017
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 IF and when Twitter increases the count in late 2022 or in 2023. Stay tuned.
Your Turn On The Character Count
How are you using the full 280 character count on Twitter?
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.
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