Adding images or videos to Tweets no longer counts towards Twitter’s 140 character limit

It looks like the rumours were true.

Twitter has announced a variety of changes related to its standard 140 character limit, a restriction that has existed since the social media platform launched back in 2006.

First, when replying to a Tweet, the usernames of the account a user is Tweeting no longer count towards Twitter’s character limit. This means that “@handles” will no longer be in the body of a Tweet and will instead become a display element.

Other changes include that adding attachments to tweets, whether a photo, GIF, video, poll or quoting a tweet, don’t count towards a Tweet’s character limit. Twitter is also adding the ability to Retweet or quote your own tweets, instead of using the “.@” message users have used for years.

“Sharing images, video and news content is a big part of the Twitter experience. With these updates to our platform, Canadian users will have more chances to share the best content on Twitter,” said Rory Capern, the head of Twitter Canada, in a recent interview with MobileSyrup.

One of the most significant changes in this update is that using “.@” is no longer necessary. Any Tweet with the @ sign in it will immediately be sent to all followers. It’s worth noting, however, that adding links to stories will still count towards Twitter’s character limit.

According to the social media platform, these changes will roll out gradually over the next few months.

Related reading: Twitter Canada gallery: A tour of the social network’s Toronto outpost