Twitter has announced the availability of updated versions of both Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android. With both these apps, the social networking firm is bringing back a few popular features including the swipe shortcut while also introducing a new design and some functionality enhancements.

Features for both apps

Swipe shortcut: Users will be able to swipe tweets on their timeline (the app’s homescreen), enabling them to reply to, retweet, favourite or share it, without having to leave the timeline screen.

Find friends feature: Twitter has added a confirmation alert for when a user selects “Find friends” (whilst setting up the app). This notification more clearly explains the fact that when users upload their phonebook contacts’ email addresses and mobile numbers, they will be able to quickly locate friends, family or colleagues who are using Twitter.

Twitter for iPhone

Copy and paste: The ability to copy and paste text within tweets as well as user profiles makes a return. Users simply have to press and hold the text to copy.

Link love: This share function provides users with the option to copy or email a link to a tweet. With this new version of Twitter for iPhone, users will have the option to tweet, copy or email links within tweets. Pressing and holding links provides similar options, along with the ability to open the link in the Safari mobile browser.

Direct messages: Twitter has added the ability to mark all Direct Messages as read. Users simply have to tap the check mark in the lower right corner.

Font size settings: Users can now change the font size used with the Twitter for iPhone app by going to “Settings” and then selecting “Advanced”.

Twitter for Android

New devices: Twitter for Android is now optimised to run on Android-powered mobile devices that operate on the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, namely Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Other Android-powered devices for which this mobile app has now been optimised (and made available) are Amazon’s Kindle Fire (available via the Amazon Appstore) and Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color as well as the NOOK Tablet (available via the Barnes & Noble NOOK Store as of today).

Smartphone and tablet users can download Twitter for Android from Google’s Android Market, whilst iPhone users can get Twitter for iPhone from Apple’s App Store.

 

In related news Twitter recently faced a backlash from users, following its announcement of the ability to censor tweets on a country-by-country basis.