Tweetbot 4
Take Twitter to the next level
£3.99 Developer Tapbots, tapbots.com
Works with iPhone, iPod touch, iPad Version 4.0.2
Twitter’s own app is… okay, yet iOS isn’t short of alternatives to it. Tweetbot is on the very short list of those that can be called excellent. Now Tapbots has refined it in ways big and small, and unified its iPhone and iPad editions.
A longstanding complaint about third-party Twitter clients, Tweetbot included, is that they don’t have an aggregate view of who retweeted you, who favourited your tweets, new followers, and so on. Twitter keeps much of this data close to its chest, leaving third parties’ hands tied. Tweetbot 4’s Activity view solves this complaint, and it’s better than Twitter’s own take. It shows your day’s accomplishments and a list of when tweets get attention. If an old tweet gets favourited again, it’ll jump to the top of the list with updated retweet and favourite counts.
Other big additions include support for 3D Touch, replying to a tweet or direct message from a notification, and the use of iOS 9’s Safari View Controller. That last one is a big deal because the in-app browser now works with content blockers, and you don’t need to log in to known sites, saving time. There’s also a two-column view in landscape on iPad and Plus-size iPhones, and support for Split View means you can check Twitter while in another app. More granular mute settings help when a friend is obnoxiously tweeting the latest sports game but you don’t want to unfollow.
It’s difficult to find something to complain about. Tweetbot 4 would be a steal at even twice the price. David Chartier
Full-featured and polished
Supports more Twitter features
Activity view is a home run
Better view of web pages
Meaningful improvements make Tweetbot 4 a great new version of the best Twitter app for iOS.