Twitter has released an update to its iOS app, bringing a cleaner user interface and a handful of new features to the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

The most useful features are probably support for autocomplete @usernames and #hashtags, a redesigned compose screen with easy access to buttons for adding a photo or location, and an improved direct messages screen which looks like a chat app. There’s also automatic URL shortening.

Possibly the least useful/most annoying feature? The new “Quick Bar” which shows up at the top of your timeline showing trending topics and other information, including trends based on your location… and promoted messages.

When I fire up the Twitter app, I’m not usually looking for trending topics, I’m checking in to see what the people I know are talking about. I don’t really care about trends and find it kind of frustrating that the top of my timeline screen is now given over to them.

Twitter 3.3 for iOS is available as a free download from the App Store… if you want it.

As expected, Twitter has launched an updated app for Google Android. Version 2.0 is now available for download from the Android Market, with new features including:

• A new tabbed user interface that makes it easier to switch between views
• Scan your phone’s contact list to find friends who are already using Twitter
• Universal search
• Autocomplete @usernames when creating a message
• Easier photo uploads
• Faster actions such as reply, retweet, or follow

Overall the new app is easier to navigate, but I find it’s kind of sluggish when it comes to loading new messages.

Twitter is apparently getting ready to push out a major update to its Android app. The folks at Everything Android got an early look at Twitter 2.0 for Android and they’ve posted a hands-on video, which you can check out below.

The user interface has been streamlined to make it easier to flip between your timeline, replies, and direct messages. You no longer have to jump back out to the home screen to change views. You can also view favorites, retweets, and lists from a more tab.

Honestly, the update looks a lot better — but it doesn’t look all that revolutionary. In fact, most of the features have been available in third party Twitter clients for ages. Still, if you’re a fan of the official product, it looks like an update should be available in the Android Market soon.

via Gizmodo

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Twitter has rolled out a new version of its iOS app which adds support for push notifications. That means you can receive pop-up messages letting you know when a Twitter user sends you a direct message or posts a tweet with an @mention for your username.

Depending on how you use Twitter, this can be either extraordinarily useful, or a pain in the behind since it could mean an endless stream of pop-up notifications.

Twitter 3.2.1 for iOS also includes additional retina display graphics, one-tap geotagging, some bug fixes, and better display of shortened URLs.

The Twitter app is available as a free download from the App Store.

Twitter has released a new version of its Android app. It’s designed to be faster, prettier, and overall a lot more like the official Twitter app for the iPhone.

Scan to download

Here’s a partial list of changes:

• Click on any Tweet to load a details page where you can reply, retweet, or favorite a message.
• Swipe across a Tweet to get options to share, retweet, or favorite a message, or view details about the person who posted the Tweet.
• Pull down on your timeline to refresh the page with new messages.
• You can quote a Tweet using the retweet button.
• Avatar photos are available in higher resolution.

Twitter 1.05 is available from the Android Market for Android 2.1 and up.

Twitter may have taken its own sweet time before launching official apps for smartphone platforms such as the iPhone and Google Android. But just days after phones with Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 operating system started to ship in select parts of the world, Twitter has unveiled its new Windows Phone 7 app. There’s no more playing catch-up. The official Twitter app is officially one of the first Twitter apps to launch for this new platform.

As you’d expect, the mobile app supports viewing messages from your timeline as well as direct messages, mentions, and lists. You can also view suggested users, and Twitter for Windows Phone 7 allows you to navigate Twitter without logging into an account. If you don’t have an account yet you can create one using the mobile app.

The mobile app takes advantage of Microsoft’s new Metro user interface, with a series of menus you can swipe through at the top of the screen and detailed information below. You can also move between views by swiping left and right, for instance moving from the timeline view to the mentions or direct messages view.

Twidroid is one of the most popular Twitter clients for Google Android that’s not made by Twitter. So it’s not that surprising that someone would want to buy the company — which exactly what Twitter ad and search firm TweetUp has just done. What is a bit surprising is that TweetUp has decided to change the app’s name… to Twidroyd.

The reason for the name change? The company doesn’t want any legal battles with Lucas Films, which it claims owns the trademark on the word “droid.” I wonder if anyone has told Motorola or Verizon about that? Update: Yup. They know.

Aside from the name change, the latest version of the app has a few changes. You can preview images with pinch to zoom and shorten links before sending via button. There’s a new warning when text exceeds 140 characters. Android 2.2 users can install the app on their SD card. And there are new widgets in the Pro version. Oh yeah, there’s also integrated TweetUp search.

TweetUp also says Twidroyd will soon come preloaded on “millions of upcoming Android phones” from 5 of the top handset makers.

The recently renamed app is already available for download from the Android Market. There’s a free version available, as well as a pro version which will set you back $3.99.

Sobees offers Twitter clients for Windows, the web, and Google Android. The company started out a few years ago as a desktop widget maker offering all sorts of widgets for reading RSS feeds, searching the web, and performing other actions. But Sobees is focusing primarily on its Twitter client at the moment, and it shows. I installed the Android client this week, and it’s one of the best Twitter apps I’ve used on my Google Nexus One.

Scan to download

Sobees for Android has all the basic features you’d expect from a mobile Twitter client including the ability to sort updates by replies, direct messages, and your overall timeline. You can also view profiles of users and even follow or unfollow users from the Sobees app. Sobees also lets you manage multiple Twitter accounts and flip between accounts quickly and easily.

The Twitter client lets you read cached messages while you’re offline. And when you’re online you can view trending topics or conduct searches.

And there are a few nifty features when you’re updating your status including the ability to geotag your Tweets, share photos, and shorten URLs.

Unfortunately, Sobees faces some pretty strict competition… from Twitter, which recently launched an official app for Android. But Twitter for Android is only available for Android 2.1 devices such as the Google Nexus One and Motorola Droid.

Sobees for Android is available as a free download from the Android Market.

You can find more screenshots after the break.

via TechCrunch

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