Discover the latest Twist updates and bug squishes on every platform here every two weeks.

Preview the all-new Twist: Sept 15

We’ve rethought Twist from the ground up over the last months. This new version is launching soon to everyone — but the Twist Preview is coming to a few selected teams today!

From reading threads with a focused view to marking threads done in the new inbox, the upgraded Twist is designed for powerful workflows to get the benefits of working asynchronously.

That means freedom to collaborate and focus, on your time.

If you're a member of one of the selected teams, you'll automatically be given access to the Twist Preview. If you're not seeing the new layout, please follow the steps below:

On mobile: First of all, make sure to update all your apps to the last versions! It'll get you the latest features and fixes. The Twist Preview is available from v21.9.2 on iOS and v247 on Android. Then please force-close and re-open your Twist app.
On desktop: You may need to refresh the app. You can do this by using the keyboard shortcut ⌘R (macOS) or F5 (Windows).

Thanks for embarking on this new chapter with us! If you have more questions, find more details in this help article.

Who’s typing?

You might have noticed that we've removed the typing indicator.

Here at Twist, we optimize for asynchronous communication, always. We found that watching dots appear in real time induced stress and anxiety. Your communication app should not make you sweat — so they’re gone.

🐛 Minus bugs

When you receive a new message, your page now scrolls down as expected.

🔢 Versions

Web 1.17.290; iOS 21.9.2; Android 247; Windows 0.4.1; Linux 0.4.0; macOS 0.4.0

Shortcuts and bug squishes: Sept 2

Browser with a thread.new in the address bar and a brand new Twist thread open!

New shortcut alert: You can compose a thread directly from https://thread.new. Type thread.new in your browser et voilà, there’s a new empty composer for you to start writing your Twist thread!

🐛 Minus bugs

We’ve made things a bit better around here. Just for you. (Well, you and a whole lot of other users ...)

🔢 Versions

Web 1.17.270; iOS 21.8.6; Android 228; Windows 0.4.0; Linux 0.4.0; macOS 0.4.0

Bug extermination: Aug 4

There’s something very satisfying about fighting back when bugs attack. This update is all about those pests and their untimely demise, thanks to yours truly.

🐛 Minus web and desktop bugs

Get a notification, select that notification, and then see the right comment or message in Twist. Every part of this very simple process now works — thanks to a little behind-the-scenes debugging.
Delete threads when you need to — because not everything needs to be saved for posterity, despite what this bug thought.

🐛 Minus iOS bugs

View your pinned threads at the top of a channel right after you pin them there!

🐛 Minus Android bugs

Your pinned threads will no longer be accidentally deleted. 😅

🔢 Versions

Web 1.17.253; iOS 21.7.1; Android 201; Windows 0.2.6; Linux 0.2.6; macOS 0.3.1.

Quick actions: Jul 13

Agendaless standups, brainstorming sessions gone long, and planning reviews that don’t result in any plans — we all know how bad it can go when real-time, face-to-face meetings are the only option to collaborate.

Cut through the chaos of synchronous meeting culture with the async-empowering features of Twist’s latest update. This update features new workflows that make collaboration possible while still preserving time for focused work. Who said you can’t have the best of both worlds?

Compose conversations at turbo speeds

Faster communication and calmer collaboration equals more time for deep, meaningful work. All-new quick actions help you speed up message creation so you have more uninterrupted time to focus.

To do more, faster, try the quick action options by typing / in the composer. You’ll be able to reference threads, add integrations, or insert a GIF.

Discover quick actions

Streamline meeting workflows

While Twist is designed for async communication, every now and then a sync meeting is necessary to build bonds or make time-sensitive decisions.

Now it’s far easier to schedule and join meetings with the all-new quick actions plus all-new integrations!

Schedule a goal progress report via your boss’s Calendly.
Book a casual coworker hang through Google Calendar.
Make a timely decision on Zoom, Skype, or Jitsi Meet.

Psst. Now you have the option to install integrations just for yourself or for your entire team (if you are an admin)!

Browse all integrations

Get every reference

You are already automatically creating a browsable, searchable superbank of team knowledge with threads. Now, it’s even faster to connect the dots.

Quick actions help point your colleagues to prior discussions, redirect conversations, or even provide inspiration! Simply select the lightning bolt icon or type / in your composer and search for the relevant channel or thread.

Quick link to any conversation

Promote flatter organization

Open, transparent communication is another founding tenet of Twist. Giving everyone the power to make big changes to channels democratizes the app even further.

Edit the title of any thread — whether you created it or not. Fixing typos and making threads more searchable is a whole lot easier!
Change important parts of any channel, too. Update the name, color, icon, description, and default groups and participants even if you’re not the channel creator.
Plus, move threads from channel to channel as you like. You’ll no longer have to be an admin to tidy up your workspace.

P.S. You’ll have to be a team member (and not a guest) in order to edit thread titles and channel information or move threads around at will. Plus, you’ll be able to see which team members make edits and changes — to keep everything out in the open.

Get ready for something big

Are you ready for completely reimagined messaging for work? Twist is being rebuilt with new features and a feel that makes async work the default, so you have more time to focus, create, and then disconnect.

It’s messaging optimized for the creator’s schedule, not the manager’s. It’s communication that makes working from a distance easy, whether it’s a choice or a necessity. It’s a tool for people who crave focus and flexibility. And it’s coming soon.

Sign up for early access

Plus:

Find curated advice and tips from We Are Async, the Doist-built community for people who are proud advocates of asynchronous communication and all of its positive benefits.
"Sorry, I'm too busy for anything important right now.” Check out our latest comic: The Mere Urgency Effect.
Manage your Twist collaboration with these 14 must-read tips.

🐛 Minus web and desktop bugs

Find yourself right where you left off now that Twist scrolls you all the way down to the bottom of your conversation in messages.
Quickly add to-dos to Todoist right from Twist — now without funky formatting in your new Todoist task.
Keep all relevant information in one place by once again forwarding emails to a thread. That’s thanks to this bug squash.
Twist’s digital chiropractor has realigned pop-ups, buttons, and more.

🐛 Minus iOS bugs

Close or reopen a thread to view a delightful new icon. 🤩
Plus a little bit of reorganization to tidy up your settings.

🐛 Minus Android bugs

Close or reopen a thread to view a delightful new icon. 🤩
Stop snoozing or end your time off and Twist won’t crash — so you can get back to work without missing a beat.

🔢 Versions

Web 1.17.242; iOS 21.7.0; Android 196; Windows 0.2.6; Linux 0.2.6; macOS 0.3.1.

Pin, mute, and link: Feb 23

In a year that’s bound to be busy, make sure you’re spending your time on the discussions that matter most with a handful of new features in Twist:

Put a pin in it

Some conversations are more important than others, so make sure your team doesn’t lose track by pinning threads to the top of a channel. Simply open a thread, press the three dots icon at the top of a thread, and choose Pin thread.

No missing links

To make it easier to reference all the great ideas across your Twist workspace, you can now link to any thread or channel in seconds. Whenever you’re writing a post, simply type / and choose the thread or channel you want to link to. (Or press the lightning bolt in your composer.)

The sound of silence

Focus is a rare commodity these days. To keep your Inbox (and mind) clear of distracting conversations, you now have the power to mute a thread. Simply open a thread and use the three dots icon and select Mute to turn off all notifications and Inbox unreads for the thread.

No more random reply-alls

When someone joins a channel, they don’t always know who should be included in the conversation. That’s why channel creators can now select who will be tagged by default on every new thread. Simply head to the channel options (press the three dots icon on web and Android or tap the channel name on iOS) and then select your default participants.

Emotion, in motion

What better way to lighten someone’s day by sending a GIF? It’s now easier than ever: Just press the GIF button at the bottom of the composer. You’ll be able to search Giphy’s extensive list of animated magic and send it right in Twist.

In other news...

Learn how a non-profit produces educational audiobooks using Twist
Find out how to adopt healthy group norms in your organization
Simplify your workflows by connecting Twist to all your favorite apps

Upgraded composer: Sep 2020

Plus images where you want them, all new emoji reactions, and more!

One of the biggest advantages of Twist is writing compelling, thoughtful posts to your team (instead of rushed, line-at-a-time chats). Thanks to a handful of new updates to your composer and reactions, you’ll now be able to express yourself more clearly than ever. 🤝

Get the complete picture before you hit Post on the web

Gone are the days of posting to a thread, then scrambling to edit it because it didn’t look quite right. You can now craft, edit, and preview your posts in a much more detailed way thanks to Twist’s new, fully redesigned web composer.

Include images right where you want them

You can now add useful graphs, screenshots of error messages, or photos of vacation escapades right in the middle of a post with new inline images on the web. Simply click the image icon from the new web composer’s text formatting options and choose your file. Done.

Use reactions to their fullest, funniest potential

Do you ever wish you could react to a spot-on idea with 🎯? How about 🛶 when asked for team retreat suggestions (for a non-socially-distant future)? Respond to your teammates’ superbly formatted messages by adding way more reactions — you can now use literally every emoji in the book. 📚

Edit more easily with new context menus for iOS

Speed up your on-the-go workflows with the new long-touch menu. On iOS and iPadOS 13+ simply touch and hold for a new menu which lets you mark messages as read (or unread), turn threads into Todoist tasks, get the link to any channel, and so much more.

Using your iPad with a mouse or trackpad? Right-click does the same.

Onboard new members in a flash

A redesigned sign up, log in, and getting started process now guides new users so they don’t get confused along the way — which means getting your next teammate into Twist will be a piece of cake. 🍰

Did you know you can now sign in to Twist with your Apple account? That means one less email and password combo to remember.

Take a trip to the dark side

While the clearer, calmer communication you find in Twist can be a bright spot in your day, it shouldn’t be glaring. With Dark Mode, you’ll be able to enjoy a new shade of Twist — a nearly black background and light text that rests easy on the eyes.

Experience speedier communication

Twist is much faster on the web, Android, and soon iOS, thanks to a new supercharged sync engine. Messages, reactions, and thread updates now reach your inbox in the blink of an eye — although just because you can reply instantaneously doesn't mean you should.

What’s next?

We’re betting you’ll find more time for deep work with a few soon-to-come updates — like a smarter inbox thanks to machine learning experimentation, threads pinned to the top of channels, and the ability to mute any thread.

...

If you found this update helpful, you should subscribe to our blog, Ambition & Balance, for in-depth guides on asynchronous communication, working remotely, and more.

Guides

Still lost? We‘re here for you.