Photos, Videos, GIFs, and More No Longer Count Towards Twitter's 140-Character Limit - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Photos, Videos, GIFs, and More No Longer Count Towards Twitter's 140-Character Limit

by

twitterlogoTwitter today announced that its long-awaited changes to the Tweet character limit have been implemented, giving Twitter users more room for text when sharing media.

Photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and Quote Tweets no longer count towards the 140-character limit, freeing up character space. Previously, media content took up approximately 24 of the 140 available characters.

Twitter originally said that all @names, such as @MacRumors, would also no longer count towards the 140-character limit, but that change does not appear to have been implemented. There is no mention of it in Twitter's announcement and @names are still counting in the character limit.


It is not clear if Twitter plans to eliminate @names from character count in the future, but the company has said it is exploring additional ways to allow people to better express themselves, so more changes could be in the works.

Top Rated Comments

mw360 Avatar
130 months ago

Twitter originally said ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/24/twitter-140-character-changes/') that all @names, such as @MacRumors, would also no longer count towards the 140-character limit, but that change does not appear to have been implemented.
No they did not. Only some @names...

https://blog.twitter.com/2016/doing-more-with-140-characters

"Replies: @names that auto-populate at the start of a reply Tweet will not count towards the character limit (but new non-reply Tweets starting with a @mention will count, as will @mentions added explicitly by the user in the body of the Tweet)."
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
130 months ago
If no @ names counted, then people would be able to spam by adding dozens of names if you think about it.
No they did not. Only some @names...

https://blog.twitter.com/2016/doing-more-with-140-characters

"Replies: @names that auto-populate at the start of a reply Tweet will not count towards the character limit (but new non-reply Tweets starting with a @mention will count, as will @mentions added explicitly by the user in the body of the Tweet)."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
130 months ago
Just waiting for that final step, when they make words no longer count towards the 140 character limit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S.B.G Avatar
130 months ago
This is welcomed news and I sure hope they eliminate usernames from the count as well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
130 months ago
I wonder if they will finally update the Twitter app for Mac and fix the outstanding bugs. Can't believe that they've left those issues live for this long.

Bug: Post a reply to a tweet and it does not appear in the discussion below. You must leave the tweet and come back to it to see your reply. Very annoying.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
130 months ago
About time! Loved adding videos and images today without it killing what I write.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors