- Tweetbot and Twitterrific users say they're angry that Twitter cut access to third-party apps.
- All users Insider spoke to said they were considering leaving Twitter. Some had turned to Mastodon.
Some Tweetbot and Twitterrific users said they're considering leaving Twitter because the third-party apps have been prevented from accessing the platform's API.
Twitter on Thursday revoked access to both apps, which allow people to use the platform without logging into the native app, but have a different layout and format from Twitter. Access was still blocked on Tuesday at time of publication.
Insider spoke to various users of the third-party apps, who were unimpressed about the suspension. They sent Insider verification that they were users of these apps.
'Horribly unprofessional'
Tweetbot users pay between around $6 and $7 in annual subscription costs for the platform.
"Tweetbot is almost the only reason I even used Twitter," Len Whitten said. He added that he liked how Tweetbot showed no adverts, had a chronological feed, and allowed him to personalize the layout.
Whitten said he's turned to Mastodon, a rival social network, instead. He described Twitter's decision to cut off Tweetbot's access as "horribly unprofessional."
He questioned why he would want to be on a social-media platform that was "subject to the whims of a man-child CEO" who ignored the fact that users of third-party apps were shut out without explanation or warning.
The Information reported that the suspension was intentional, citing internal Slack messages from a Twitter engineer. The publication also reported that there was speculation Twitter may have cut off the third-party clients because they failed to boost ad revenue.
'Anger-inducing'
Thomas Schmidt told Insider he used Tweetbot several times a day to get updates from friends and check the news. He preferred Tweetbot to Twitter because of its "pleasant, usable experience." Since the suspension on Thursday, he's joined Mastodon.
"The total lack of communication from Twitter and that it happened with absolutely no warning is highly unprofessional and anger-inducing," Schmidt said, adding that he will likely quit Twitter if he's forced to use its native app.
Adrian Jenkins also said he was thinking about leaving Twitter because being blocked from Tweetbot was "hell." He told Insider he didn't like Twitter's app and rarely opened it, whereas he would use Tweetbot multiple times an hour.
Twitter is 'clunky'
Meanwhile, users on Twitterrific were also impacted by Twitter's suspension of third-party apps. Paul Wilke, who said he's used Twitterrific for around ten years, said he was disappointed about the news. He described Twitter as "clunky" and "not as feature-rich" as Twitterrific.
"If Twitter continues to go this route, it will definitely curtail my Twitter use and it may be the straw that motivates me to finally quit Twitter once and for all," Wilke said.
Twitter didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of US operating hours.