Twitter’s subscription service, formerly known as “Twitter Blue” and now renamed “X Blue,” initially offered its paying subscribers the coveted blue checkmark verification. However, in recent months, some subscribers have faced criticism for paying $8 per month or $84 per year for the service. In response to user feedback, Twitter has now introduced a new feature for X Blue members that allows them to hide the verified checkmark on their accounts.
The new “Hide your blue checkmark” option can be found under the “Profile customization” section in account settings. When activated, the blue verification badge will no longer be visible on the user’s profile and next to their usernames on posts. However, Twitter warns that the checkmark may still appear in certain places, and some features may not be available while the badge is hidden, though it does not specify which features will be affected.
Twitter has been actively expanding features for paying X Blue users since Elon Musk took over. Paid users now enjoy a higher post limit of 25,000 characters and have access to new tools for publishing long-form content. The video limit for X Blue users has also been extended to 3 hours. On the other hand, the social network has been introducing restrictions for free users, such as limiting the number of direct messages non-paying users can send to curb spam. Previously, there was also a cap on the number of tweets free users could see in a day due to data scraping concerns.
The verification process for X Blue members will remain the same, requiring users to submit a government ID to authenticate their identities. The only difference is that the verification badge will be hidden, making it less apparent that someone is a paying subscriber.
The ability to hide checkmarks was first spotted by app developer Alessandro Paluzzi in March. With this new feature, Twitter aims to strike a balance between providing additional benefits for paying subscribers while addressing concerns and criticisms surrounding the use of the blue checkmark as part of the subscription package.
