Elon Musk’s $8/month Twitter Blue subscription with verification is officially available, and you’ll need a verified phone number to sign up.
in Twitter thread, the platform notes that Blue will cost $11 per month if you sign up on iOS and will give you access to the ability to edit tweets, upload 1080p videos, a reading mode, and of course, the coveted blue tick. If you paid for the old $4.99 / $2.99 blue package then you’ll need to subscribe again to keep its benefits, while anyone who signed up with Apple at the old $7.99 per month price will be automatically renews at $11 per month unless canceled .
This time, Twitter relies on a lightly described review process, as well as the phone number verification requirement, to limit any “verified” scams:
We are committed to maintaining the integrity of Twitter accounts and making the platform a place where people can join and engage safely. Only Twitter accounts created more than 90 days ago can sign up for Twitter Blue.
All Twitter Blue subscribers will be required confirm their phone number as part of registration.
Once you subscribe to Twitter Blue, changes to your profile picture, display name or username (@handle) will result in the loss of the blue tick until the account is validated as continuing to meet our requirements, and no other changes during this review period. Learn more about ticker requirements here.
The company says the current price point is a “limited time offer” on the signup page and lists several features coming soon. These include the ability to “rise to the top of answers”, post “longer videos” and see about half the number of ads.
Twitter says anyone with an existing blue tick won’t lose it “at this point”, although that’s a thing Musk says it will happen after a few months”. However, it is noted that users who change their screen name or profile picture will lose their bookmark until their account is reviewed.