Twitter Begins Testing New ‘Remove a Follower’ Feature on Web Devices

Twitter has begun testing a new feature that appears to act as a soft block a user may use on a follower. Rather than outright blocking and unfollowing a fellow user, the new feature will remove the follower without blocking them and will not notify them.

Announced via the Twitter Support account, the new feature will be a way for Twitter to provide a soft blocking method to users. Currently, the feature is being tested on web devices prior to the company making the call to proceed and make a wider rollout or scrap the idea.

We’re making it easier to be the curator of your own followers list. Now testing on web: remove a follower without blocking them.

To remove a follower, go to your profile and click “Followers”, then click the three dot icon and select “Remove this follower”. pic.twitter.com/2Ig7Mp8Tnx

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 7, 2021

Once accessible, using the new feature appears fairly straightforward. As with other similar privacy tools Twitter provides, a user can click the ‘three dots’ option next to a follower’s name. This will open up a window in which the ‘Remove this follower’ option can be used.

After this is selected, your tweets will no longer appear on their timeline. The user will not receive a notification of any kind and continue thinking it’s business as usual as it will appear as though you still follow them. It’s almost a reverse ‘Mute’ option, which removes another user’s tweets from your timeline.

However, just like with any feature Twitter tests, there’s no guarantee it will be integrated into the core service of the social media platform. That said, it is an interesting idea that enables a user to have more control of their followers and timeline.