Tweetbot, Twitterrific, and many third-party Twitter clients have begun to offload their apps from stores owing to the ban Musk-led Twitter imposed on them.
On January 13th, Tweetbot, one of the most popular Twitter third-party apps, tweeted through their official handle that they, along with other third-party Twitter clients, are facing issues logging in to Twitter.
They also mentioned that they tried to reach out to Twitter to get more details, but they haven’t gotten any response. The Tweet also read that the company hopes it’s just a temporary glitch.
Many third-party Twitter clients that enhanced user experience were left with no help or support from Twitter.
Tweetbot, Twitterrific, and numerous other third-party applications have struggled to restore their access to the Twitter API since Twitter cut off access to the apps over the past few days.
On January 17th, Twitter confirmed that some third-party applications might not work. However, Twitter hasn’t made clear which rules these apps have violated.
Moreover, Twitter quietly revised its developer agreement late Thursday after announcing an unclear statement on Twitter’s third-party app bans.
Twitter stated in the developer agreement that using Twitter API or other Licensed Materials to develop or attempt to develop a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications is prohibited.
Twitter is enforcing its long-standing API rules that may result in some apps not working.
As a result of these changes in the developer agreement, all third-party Twitter apps have been banned. Users who have been using these apps for years now have to use the official Twitter mobile app and website to access the platform.
The Reaction From Popular Third-Party Apps
After the official confirmation, popular third-party Twitter clients like Tweetbot and Twitterrific started offloading their apps from the app stores.
Twitterrific for iOS and macOS has now been removed from both App Stores. If you had a subscription on iOS, it will be automatically canceled by the App Store.
Twitterrific also mentioned that Twitter had become a platform they could no longer trust and want to work with. Since 2007, Twitterrific has helped Twitter users make their experience the best. It was one of the first desktop and mobile clients for Twitter.
They developed and launched the Twitterrific iOS app even before Twitter launched its own iOS app. Twitterrific offers a variety of customization features to users to make their experience rich on Twitter.
Tapbots, the company behind Tweetbot, also announced on Twitter that while they have been honored to serve the users for the past 12 years, they have to shut down Tweetbot due to circumstances beyond their control.
Although some third-party Twitter clients are still active, it’s only a matter of time before Twitter bans them as well.
Furthermore, Tweetbot developer Paul Haddad stated that he’s removed the Mac app from the App Store and that the iOS app will be removed soon.
Tweetbot’s customization options and advanced filtering features made it popular among Twitter users. The app allowed users to schedule tweets, explore analytics, and access a variety of other features.
Another third-party app, Talon, will also soon stop working, according to its developer. Experts believe this move can be a resort for Twitter to prevent the misuse of their API for the development of similar platforms by rivals.
However, Neither Elon Musk nor Twitter has clarified the main reason for the ban on the third-party Twitter client apps.
