An early morning tweet on Friday was the last from President Trump's Twitter account sent by an Android device. And while Trump is certainly busy with the duties that come with the first day in the White House, reports suggest another reason for his Twitter silence: Trump has given up his smartphone.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump traded in his Android phone for a secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service, citing people close to the transition. The Associated Press reported the same thing, citing a conversation with one of Trump's friends who requested anonymity.
If true, it could mark a new era for Trump's personal Twitter account, which is shared between Trump and his staffers. An analysis last summer suggested that tweets sent from the Android Twitter app came from Trump himself, while those sent from other platforms, including the iOS app, came from staffers.
Trump plans to continue tweeting while in office. It's unclear whether a Secret Service-sanctioned phone will allow him to do so from his personal account; he now has the @POTUS Twitter account at his disposal, too. As for tweeting from a desktop or laptop, the president said he almost never sends emails, and he rarely uses a computer, instead preferring to have his staff print out online news stories.
Trump is the second president to take office since smartphones became a part of daily life for millions of Americans. Much was made in 2008 about the BlackBerry addiction of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who was allowed to keep his phone for personal use while conducting government business on a more secure device.
One difference between the two leaders is their propensity for using their phones for plain old phone calls. Trump was known for frequently answering his Samsung Galaxy before he took office, even late at night when the call came from an unknown number, according to the Associated Press. Obama, meanwhile, didn't use his BlackBerry to make or receive calls in office, instead relying on the White House switchboard.