Ask HN: Has Twitter removed the ability to browse while logged out?

trenning 2021-08-18 22:52:21 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yes, extremely annoying at first. Same thing FB did with Insta. I guess it's good because I don't go to IG anymore and I don't click on links because half the time they're gated. Twitter will follow the same pattern for me.

nokya 2021-08-19 14:46:58 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Same here. I stopped clicking IG/FB shares for a long time thanks to their gated content. Added to Reddit's anti-browser policy and now Twitter, those are all great opportunities to spend less time on my smartphone :)

version_five 2021-08-18 22:34:21 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I noticed the same behavior on my phone. I think you can still navigate and it just shows the popup on every navigation?

Twitter for me is in the category of if I click on a link and get no resistance then I'll look at it, but any friction at all and I don't really care. Same as any full page popup, the site better have something I really want and not just be something I scroll to mechanically for endorphins, or I'm not going to bother accepting cookies or closing the enter your email email modal or whatever.

mindcrash 2021-08-19 00:45:58 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I removed all cached data. Apparently it solves this particular issue.

So I think this is either very bad programming, or a very bad A/B test.

diplodocusaur 2021-08-19 00:32:36 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yes. Personally it means I will be using it even less. Win-win.

dpifke 2021-08-19 00:52:41 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I recommend using https://nitter.net instead. It's open source and easy to run a local instance using the code from https://github.com/zedeus/nitter.

rmykhajliw 2021-08-19 13:10:01 +0000 UTC [ - ]

IP blocked for non-residential areas eq. VPN/datacenters are blocked by loginwall. This is super stupid idea to fight with web scrappers.

The issue with web-scrappers comes from API limits: none wanted to parse twitter web if you can get everything from API for a reasonable price.

I don't think API access brings lots of money 5% increase in profit costs customer experience on mobile.

newlognevrytime 2021-08-19 08:46:08 +0000 UTC [ - ]

I've stopped using twitter myself due to the fact they've locked me out when I didn't give them a phone number. As far as I can tell, that's the only reason they've locked my account.

nyuszika7h 2021-08-19 12:05:46 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yeah, that's annoying, a lot of new accounts get locked instantly and asked to provide a phone number. Technically you can appeal it, but you have a lower chance of being accepted now than in the past. However, you can use Google Voice, or a site like getsmscode.com (that one is confirmed working on Twitter, just sometimes a bit flaky, may have to try multiple numbers).

cpach 2021-08-19 09:52:32 +0000 UTC [ - ]

A similar thing happened to me… Maybe for the best?

egberts1 2021-08-19 08:53:26 +0000 UTC [ - ]

off-topic: same thing with Facebook.

11 year old Facebook account got locked out recently due to “mandatory” phone number request.

randomhodler84 2021-08-19 01:12:42 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Dev tools, app, delete cookies and local storage values. Refresh. Like a new born browser session.

I don’t like this trend of soft auth walls on subsequent visits to encourage login. We are rapidly losing the “anonymous” (as in no username tagged in access.log lines, not really anonymous) read only web. It is important! Not every possible action needs to be registered for your users behavioral models.

connor-brooks 2021-08-18 22:25:38 +0000 UTC [ - ]

A workaround trick I have found is using private browsing. Possibly clearing your cookies for Twitter could work also.

tenfourwookie 2021-08-19 00:35:06 +0000 UTC [ - ]

LinkedInitis. It's spreading.

cma 2021-08-19 04:49:09 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Web 0.0

creamytaco 2021-08-18 22:48:22 +0000 UTC [ - ]

One less site to visit every day. Same thing happened with Reddit, which is unusable on mobile web without login.

hivacruz 2021-08-18 22:53:20 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Use teddit.net, it works great

klyrs 2021-08-19 01:05:29 +0000 UTC [ - ]

That's like telling a person who just quit cigarettes that vaping is a great alternative. Not using is better.

f0e4c2f7 2021-08-19 00:43:56 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Wow. I can't believe I've never run across this. Thank you. I gotta figure out how to rewrite addresses to this on Firefox mobile when clicking a link from Google searches.

It's shocking how much better it is. You forget just how many dark patterns have crept in over time.

Akronymus 2021-08-19 08:07:50 +0000 UTC [ - ]

old.reddit.com seems to work fine on mobile.

bobobob420 2021-08-19 02:45:16 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Best decision they ever made. Now the rare chance I click on a Twitter link I don’t have to read it :) thanks Twitter!

sergiotapia 2021-08-19 01:18:44 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yep noticed it today. I'm just going to stop visiting twitter links like I stopped visiting pinterest

machinecontrol 2021-08-18 22:59:53 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yes. The trend is definitely towards alternate frontends for these services.

Use nitter.net

2021-08-19 00:36:33 +0000 UTC [ - ]

legostormtroopr 2021-08-19 05:43:05 +0000 UTC [ - ]

This is also happening for me. Its funny because its making a lot of posts on HN useless now as they are multi-tweet threads, which you can no longer see if you aren't a Twitter user.

aaron695 2021-08-18 22:53:37 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yes. Including private mode.

But not on my phone.

Due to the lack of complaints I thought perhaps uBlock.

But maybe it's IP based, or since opening Firefox it doesn't do it perhaps it's a count.

2021-08-18 23:00:54 +0000 UTC [ - ]

villgax 2021-08-19 02:50:45 +0000 UTC [ - ]

This isn't new for any social media app nowadays

draw_down 2021-08-18 22:57:40 +0000 UTC [ - ]

It’s the same thing Instagram has been doing for a while now.

dalmo3 2021-08-18 22:21:17 +0000 UTC [ - ]

Yes.

But hey, you don't want to miss what's happening, do you? People on Twitter are the first to know!