Twitter is testing a newly redesigned TweetDeck – here’s how to try it

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TweetDeck has a fresh coat of paint, as Twitter announced yesterday that the beloved tool of social managers has new tools that are being trialed. Twitter might turn TweetDeck into a paid subscription down the line, but for now, it’s free to use.

New features being tested include a fully-featured tweet composer, advanced search, new column types to drop into your view, and a way to group columns for a cleaner workspace. Those might change as the testing goes on, or more features might get added.

Currently, only a few select Twitter users have access to the redesigned TweetDeck, but thanks to app wrangler Jane Manchun-Wong, anyone who takes a couple of minutes of time can also get the new version. We’ll show you how.

READ MORE: RIP: The TweetDeck app for Mac is dead

Here’s how to test out the revamped TweetDeck

Want to try out the new TweetDeck design even if you weren’t selected for the test group? Read on and we’ll show you how.

Go to TweetDeck in a desktop browser

Open Developer Tools

In Google Chrome:

That’s either Ctrl+Shift+C or click on the three-dot menu > More Tools > Developer tools.

In Safari:

You’ll need to enable Developer Tools in Safari > Preferences > Advanced > “Show Develop menu in menu bar”
Then go to the Develop menu and “Show Web Inspector” or press Option+Command+i

In Firefox:

Either go to Tools > Web Developer > Web Developer Tools, or press Ctrl+Shift+I

Click on the Console tab, if it’s not the default view

Copy and paste the following into the text entry box at the bottom: document.cookie = “tweetdeck_version=beta” and hit Enter

Reload the webpage and you should have the new UI for TweetDeck, along with a popup asking you to import your settings

READ MORE: The best TweetDeck alternatives for Mac users

Now you’ve got the new TweetDeck preview. If you don’t like the default view, you can change the column sizes and other features by clicking on the settings icons next to the column names. These only show up when you hover over them with your cursor, however.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.