Twitter is rolling out a new version of TweetDeck, but it will require a subscription to Twitter Blue.
The Twitter Support account on Monday tweeted about a "new, improved" version of TweetDeck, which now supports full composer functionality, Spaces, video docking, and polls. The tweet also notes, however, that "in 30 days, users must be Verified to access TweetDeck."
Ultimately, it means anyone who wishes to continue using TweetDeck as a way to access Twitter will need to pay $8 per month for a Twitter Blue subscription (or $11 per month if you subscribe via iOS or Android).
Existing users can try it out before the paywall goes up by selecting the "Try the new TweetDeck" option in the bottom-left menu. All TweetDeck users will be migrated over to the new design whether they like it or not because legacy TweetDeck is permanently broken.
No explanation has been forthcoming as to why Twitter Blue is now required to access TweetDeck, but it looks as though Twitter saw another opportunity to get more users to pay for the service. The question is, will TweetDeck users pay, switch to the standard Twitter interface instead, or look to an alternative service like Mastodon or the imminent release of Meta's Threads?
Meanwhile, access to Twitter is a bit broken for just about everyone at the moment. Daily tweet views are limited, even for paying users, as Twitter attempts to "address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation," according to Elon Musk.