Twitter is resurrecting its Mac desktop app

It's been a year since Twitter killed off its app for Mac, but it's now fallen back in love with the desktop and is releasing a new version for macOS Catalina.

The new app will feature keyboard shortcuts, desktop notifications, support for multiple notifications and a dark mode to help tempt users away from using Twitter.com in their browser.

As The Verge explains, the official Twitter app was pulled from the App Store in 2018, having received only occasional updates and a general lack of love, separating it from its mobile counterparts.

Back to roost

Windows and macOS users were once spoilt for choice when it came to Twitter clients, with dozens of apps available for managing multiple accounts, tracking tags and timelines, and scheduling tweets.

That's no longer the case. The site has spent several years tweaking its APIs and cracking down on third-party apps – particularly ones with the potential to "produce spam, manipulate conversations, or invade the privacy of people using Twitter" by churning out lots of tweets in a short space of time.

It seems safe to say that the new macOS app, however convenient, will keep tight reins on the number of tweets that can be posted at once, and avoid any tools that could be manipulated by miscreants.