Twitter API ban kills popular third-party apps for Windows users

It’s no secret that Twitter has gone through a lot of changes since Elon Musk bought the platform last year. The recent decision by Twitter to cut off third-party access to its API has effectively killed popular third-party apps like Tweetium, which have been popular with Windows users year. While that’s certainly a blow to those who rely on the apps, it could be an important step in helping Twitter become a profitable business.

The end of third-party apps for Windows users

Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, made headlines last year when he bought Twitter for $44 billion. Since then, Musk has been making rapid changes to the platform in an effort to improve profitability. One such change was the recent decision to cut off third-party access Twitter’s API effectively kills popular third-party apps like Tweetium.

I'm very sad to share that the new Twitter leadership has decided to ban all third-party clients without warning, and Tweetium has now been blocked from connecting to the service.

Thank you for your support over the years.

Tweetium has now been delisted from the Store.

— Tweetium app (@TweetiumWindows) January 22, 2023

This is a particularly frustrating development for longtime Windows users, as independent developers have traditionally stepped in to support the platform with popular third-party solutions. For example, Tweetium is a popular app built for UWP and works great on Surface devices and Nokia Lumia Windows Phone. Other popular third-party apps for Windows include Tweet It! Phoenix and Aries.

The decision to cut off third-party access may have been an attempt to boost Twitter’s profitability. Third-party apps often reduce or remove Twitter’s ad delivery mechanism, which undoubtedly has an impact on the platform’s bottom line. By locking users into ad-driven services across mobile devices App and web Twitter could add to its revenue stream.

Twitter has also recently laid off thousands of employees, and Musk’s acquisition brings significant changes to the service as he tries to find a profitable business model. Twitter now offers a paid subscription service called Twitter Blue, which costs about $10 a month and gives users Reduce advertising and algorithmic prioritization of tweets on the platform’s “for you” pages.

All in all, the demise of third-party Twitter apps is a blow to Windows users who have relied on them for years, but it’s a necessary step for Twitter to improve its profitability. While this may frustrate users, it remains to be seen whether the changes will help Twitter become a profitable business In the long run.