Twitter to start testing 280-character limit for tweets

Twitter is finally doing away with the 140 character limit for tweets. The new character limit, however, is only available to a small group right now.

Twitter is going to make the biggest change to its platform. (REUTERS)

Twitter on Tuesday announced that it will be soon increasing the character limit for tweets, for the first time since the micro-blogging site launched in 2006.

The service announced on Tuesday that it is set to double its character count for tweets -- from 140 characters to 280 characters -- albeit, for some of its users. The test group will include those who tweet in certain languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese.

In the earlier update, Twitter removed user handles -- a person's Twitter name preceded by the @ sign -- from replies to tweets, instead linking them in text above the tweet.

Twitter explained that in Japanese, Korean and Chinese, people can convey twice as much information as languages like English and Spanish.

"Our research shows us that the character limit is a major cause of frustration for people Tweeting in English, but it is not for those Tweeting in Japanese," the post read.

Only a "small group of people" will get the new limit before Twitter launches it to everyone. "But all users will be able to see longer tweets," it added.