It wasn’t long after Twitter launched an official BlackBerry app and acquired the makers of the popular iPhone app, Tweetie, before an official Android app was revealed. With a growing mobile empire, it’s also evident that Twitter is improving its usability with each official app.
Despite these efforts, the official Twitter app for Android may not convince you to switch from Twidroid or Seesmic (it only supports one account for now), though it’s off to a great start.
Sync your contacts
One of the biggest features is the sync option with your phone’s Contacts list. The sync works two ways; letting you call a contact from the Twitter app, or accessing their Twitter profiles from the Contacts list. While you can’t send DMs from the Contacts list, you can view your friends’ most recent tweet.
This sync option is significant because it shows the usability of social networking information within a personal device. This merging of social media with your personal content is becoming a more convenient way in which to manage your smart phone and keep up with your friends. We’re sure to see more Twitter integration with Android devices as Google is soon to open its Twitter API to third-party developers.
Sensible navigation
Twitter has also stepped up to the challenge of making an easily-navigated service—something its website has had trouble with since the first tweet. A home screen offers large icons to access lists, DMs, mentions, your profile and trending topics. You can return to this screen from anywhere in the app, making it easy to quickly perform all your necessary functions.
One important aspect of Twitter’s well-executed app navigation is the ease with which you can share media and tweets. Select your photo-sharing and URL-shortening apps, send a tweet to a friend via email, Facebook or SMS, and choose from your list of followers to be mentioned in any tweets you send out. Unfortunately, the re-tweet option automatically uses the newer Twitter default, giving you no opportunity to amend the tweet before it’s sent out.
