Old TweetDeck version is working again, but don’t expect it to last

For those who didn’t get unceremoniously and non-consensually bumped onto the new version of TweetDeck, the old version is working again. Users who did get force-switched can also revert to the old version – but don’t expect it to last for long …

It’s just over a year since Twitter killed TweetDeck for Mac, but power users were able to continue using TweetDeck on the web.

That worked fine until around a week ago, when rate-limiting broke the web version for many, while others were force-“upgraded” to the new version, which is far less powerful. Crucially, it doesn’t support multiple accounts, rendering it useless for the likes of brand managers who tweet on behalf of multiple accounts.

At the same time, Twitter announced that even the new version was being paywalled, with access limited to those paying for Twitter Blue subscribers.

Ironically, had Twitter done this for the original version of TweetDeck, it might have reluctantly persuaded many of us to hand over the cash.

Old TweetDeck version available again

The Verge spotted that the classic version of the web app is working again. This is because Twitter has, for some unknown reason, re-enabled the old API that powered both TweetDeck classic and third-party apps.

If you’re using the new version, click the settings cog bottom-left, and in TweetDeck Version, you can select the old one by using the reassuringly named Exit button.

Twitter hasn’t made any announcement about this.

While it’s possible this is a panic-reaction, trying to win back some of the 100 million people who joined Threads in its first few days, it seems more likely it’s either just a mistake by one of Twitter’s few remaining engineers, or a whim by Musk who will then revert it on another whim.

Image, ironically, from a page still live on Twitter