Twitter uses slightly different fonts on the web.
i wouldn’t have noticed. The difference is rather small compared to the old one (The Verge(opens in new window) first reported on the change). In fact, as NiemanLab points out, Joshua Benton(opens in new window), the font itself is unchanged. It’s still Twitter’s own font, Chirp(opens in new window)but now uses an OpenType styleset to make it easier to distinguish between letters that are usually very similar, such as uppercase I and lowercase L, and zero (diagonal up) and o. I’m here.
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These changes are probably only visible in the most useful place, the Twitter handle, as they can easily distinguish between real and fake accounts. Remember the myriad variants of @e10nmusk urging you to buy cryptocurrencies?
Elon Musk reinstates white nationalist Nick Fuentes’ Twitter account
Strangely, the changes are still not visible on mobile (see example below). However, I think it’s only a matter of time.
Above: Web version of Twitter with new font. Below: Twitter on iPhone. Note the slash ‘0’ in ‘0xPolygon’
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Twitter
This isn’t the first time Twitter has changed the font it uses.chirp exchange Segoe UI(opens in new window) In January 2021, the company will different fonts(opens in new window) throughout its history.
But this latest font change gives us hope that someone at Twitter is really trying to reduce spam and spoofing on the platform, just as Elon Musk promised before taking over.
