Twitter Removes Precise Location Sharing, But There's An Exception

Back in 2009, Twitter added a feature that we now know wouldn't prove very popular: precise geotagging. With this feature, users could enable the platform to share their precise location with tweets, something Twitter said would add 'compelling context...to each burst of information.' In a simple tweet this week, the company said it is mostly scrapping the feature.

There was a logical reason to add precise location information to tweets — the data made it possible to find tweets relevant to the user's particular location based on the location itself rather than something general like a hashtag. Precise location data meant tweets could be found for things as small as an individual event.

As we now know a full decade later, most users weren't interested in the feature and location-based information isn't in demand on the platform. Users have largely focused on hashtags that work alongside trending topics to find content. On top of that, it turns out that many users aren't comfortable sharing such precise geotags.

Due to the lack of popularity, Twitter announced via its support account that it has removed the feature in order to 'simplify your Tweeting experience.' There's a single exception to this change, however, and it revolves around the only sharing instance in which precise location info is typically desired: photography.

Images shared on Twitter through the platform's updated camera will still have the option for precise location sharing. By including this information, viewers will be able to find the spot where the image was taken even if it's off the beaten path.