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Chronicles

The story behind the story

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Twitter to relaunch Blue on December 12 for $8/month on the web and $11/month on iOS with a checkmark after account review, 1080p uploads, edit button, and more

we're relaunching @TwitterBlue on Monday - subscribe on web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to get access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark 🧵 https://twitter.com/...

Twitter

Context & Ripple Effects

Twitter Blue had been floated as a $2.99 tier in 2021, then rapidly recast in November around an $8 checkmark subscription. The relaunch adds account review to that model while bundling higher-quality uploads and editing tools.

The web-to-iOS price gap follows a reported plan to charge more on iOS, placing the subscription’s purchase channel alongside its feature set as a key part of the offer.

First-order effects

  • Twitter gives web subscribers an $8 monthly route to Blue, while iOS subscribers pay $11 for the same subscriber-only features, including a checkmark after review.
  • Account review makes checkmark access conditional rather than an automatic outcome of paying for Blue.

Second-order effects

  • The $3 iOS premium steers price-sensitive users toward web checkout, making Twitter’s own purchase flow more important to Blue conversion.
  • Twitter must make upload quality, editing, and the reviewed checkmark sufficiently valuable to support a subscription far above the earlier $2.99 Blue concept.

Third-order effects

  • Twitter is turning a previously low-cost feature tier into a higher-priced membership product whose identity signal is paired with platform controls.
  • If that model persists, social-platform verification shifts from a standalone status marker toward a recurring bundle of access, features, and review.

The trend: Social platforms are testing subscription bundles that combine premium tools with identity and status features while using channel-specific pricing.

Discussion

  • @twitter @twitter on x
    when you subscribe you'll get Edit Tweet, 1080p video uploads, reader mode, and a blue checkmark (after your account has been reviewed)
  • @twitter @twitter on x
    we'll begin replacing that “official” label with a gold checkmark for businesses, and later in the week a grey checkmark for government and multilateral accounts
  • @twitter @twitter on x
    subscribers will be able to change their handle, display name or profile photo, but if they do they'll temporarily lose the blue checkmark until their account is reviewed again
  • @sranysovok @sranysovok on x
    Tim Apple tax https://twitter.com/...
  • @rachelcdailey Rachel Charlton-Dailey on x
    Grey really won't work with the different view modes. But this is something he'd know if he hadn't fired the whole accessibility team https://twitter.com/...
  • @tomcoates Tom Coates on x
    If you want to pay $8 a month to have everyone think you love Elon Musk, you will be able to do so from Monday. I will not be paying for it. https://twitter.com/...
  • @lukeplunkett Luke Plunkett on x
    unbelievable. lmao. https://twitter.com/...
  • @samyoungman Sam Youngman on x
    Contribute to QAnon and insurrectionists for only $11 a month https://twitter.com/...
  • @jamesrbuk James Ball on x
    A higher price on iOS versus web...has Twitter found away around the App Store rules on that or is the fight with Apple back on? https://twitter.com/...
  • @sam1tron @sam1tron on x
    IMAGINE PAYIJGN11 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR A BLUE CHECK MARK https://twitter.com/...
  • @paultassi Paul Tassi on x
    Lol they're doing the Apple tax thing https://twitter.com/...
  • @chrismessina Chris Messina on x
    Until those three Coming Soon features launch, I'm out. 🤷🏼‍♂️ https://twitter.com/...
  • @jappleby Jack Appleby on x
    Elon thinks the $8 web or $11 mobile pay structure is attacking Apple when it's actually attacking consumers. A huge portion of Twitter users only use the app, not the web. https://twitter.com/...
  • @ashleyfeinberg Ashley Feinberg on x
    lol who exactly is going to be reviewing all of this, there can't be more than like... six non-coder employees left https://twitter.com/...
  • @thejasonkirk Jason Kirk on x
    I've seen roughly one zillion tweets. The number of times I've seen someone say something like “I wish I could post longer videos here” is maybe like three https://twitter.com/...
  • @kynsofficial @kynsofficial on x
    Make the check mark option, I just wanna be able to edit tweet and upload 10minutes HD video for my students. Idc the fuck you do with blue check or if it's white or gold https://twitter.com/...
  • @patsully Patrick Sullivan on x
    I used to pay for Twitter Blue for the Nuzzle features, ad free articles, and bookmark folders. Funny to see none of them featured going forward. https://twitter.com/...
  • @michebangtan Miche on x
    Lmao someone had made a joke about lots of different check marks but twitter thought it was a good idea and went with it https://twitter.com/...
  • @caraesten Cara on x
    we're dealing with, at minimum, four checkmarks in play right now lmao https://twitter.com/...
  • @charlesarthur Charles Arthur on x
    “After your account has been reviewed”? That's going to be the most amazingly labour-intensive process if it's done well, or a repeat of the complete mess seen a month or so ago if not. And where's the evidence they've got the labour to do it? https://twitter.com/...
  • @eckhartsladder @eckhartsladder on x
    😂 I love that the net-effect of the verification democratization is that independent journalists and the like are now fucked over, while they give the big brands a way to stand out even more. Really intelligent move. https://twitter.com/...
  • @mmasnick Mike Masnick on x
    A virtual rainbow of checkmarks. https://twitter.com/...
  • @joshuaphilll @joshuaphilll on x
    That'll clear things up https://twitter.com/...
  • @scully1888 Chris Scullion on x
    I would honestly consider paying for that if it came WITHOUT the checkmark. It currently has a purpose (in that it stops people pretending to be me and ‘leaking’ fake game news), but once it disappears I'm not going to willingly pay to get regular abuse for ‘buying’ a tick https:…
  • @basedkarbon @basedkarbon on x
    I guess I'm getting a bluecheck because they also emailed me that they're sunsetting the old twitter blue and it won't auto renew next mo. I don't want to lose the other features like my organized bookmarks. Also lol at the 37% markup to cover the App Store mafia shakedown. https…