Twitter tricks: Elon Musk explains how to turn off the algorithm

San Francisco, California - While the world's richest man is pumping the brakes on his Twitter buyout deal, he's also got some reasonable, useful advice for all of us. Wonders never cease.

Elon Musk proves he knows one way to take control of Twitter already.
Elon Musk proves he knows one way to take control of Twitter already.  © Collage: REUTERS

Elon Musk mentioned taking control of your own Twitter feed once before, but on Sunday he tweeted specific tips on how to only see content from the accounts you follow in reverse chronological order.

Here's the simple three-step walkthrough for taking control of what you see on Twitter:

  • Tap/click the home button.
  • Tap/click stars on the upper right side of the screen.
  • Select "Latest tweets."
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This lets you avoid the platform's suggestions, which push tweets at you that are similar to what you've searched for or clicked on before, and shows you the most recent tweets from people you follow first.

To anyone who hasn't discovered this feature, this is an easy way to decide what content you see, instead of letting Twitter make that call for you.

What's the algorithm for anyway?

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey seemed to feel like he needed to stand up for the Twitter algorithm, saying it is "good at surfacing stuff you’d otherwise miss by not scrolling," according to digitaltrends.

Dorsey also responded to Musk's tweet with an explanation on how the algorithms work:

"They simply try to put the tweets that you’re *most likely* to engage with at the top. That’s it. Predictive based on what you like, retweet, reply to, search for, pause on, etc. it’s meant to be a convenience, nothing more."

Thanks for the tip, Musk. Now, if you could keep using your reach and clout to spread more helpful tips like this, that'd be great!

Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS

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