If that blue dot next to Twitter's new Moments tab is driving you crazy, you're not alone.
Twitter introduced Moments, its new experience that aims to provide "the best of what’s happening on Twitter in an instant," in an update to its app and website last week. The much-hyped feature, previously known as Project Lightning, offers a look into tweets around specific news stories and events, like major league sports games.
Unsurprisingly, as with pretty much every major update to any widely used social media platform, the move has been met with some criticism from users. For many, it seems, the worst part of the update isn't the addition of the new tab itself, but the blue dot that accompanies the tab whenever the content within it is updated, which happens several times a day.
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Like the notifications and home tab, a blue dot appears near the Moments section of the app to alert you of new updates.
The most controversial part of Moments pic.twitter.com/lgbRaudXnO— Karissa Bell (@karissabe) October 12, 2015
It may seem innocent enough, but Twitter users -- trained to tap the dot to check their mentions or home timelines -- are seriously enraged by the blue dot.
This persistent blue notification badge on the Twitter Moments tab is giving me anxiety issues— Rashad Nasir (@rashadsays) October 11, 2015
This little moments tab on Twitter messes me up I keep pressing it trying to look at my notifications.. The struggle lol— 6Goddess (@Only6Goddess) October 11, 2015
This "moments" things on Twitter keeps making me think I'm popular with notifications....— Taylor Cunha (@taylorcunha6) October 8, 2015
I hate the moments thing on Twitter. Makes me think I have notifications when I don't — Stevie Bennett (@Stevess_1216) October 8, 2015
PLEASE REMOVE THIS MOMENTS THING BETWEEN MY NOTIFICATIONS AND MESSAGES @twitter I DONT LIKE THIS :( pic.twitter.com/bBK6FURPsF— TheGrayyGorilla (@TheGrayGorilla) October 6, 2015
I am not a lab mouse I am a grown man - he said, finger twitching over the blue twitter moments dot, descending into madness— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) October 9, 2015
Interestingly, the dot only appears in Twitter's app, it doesn't appear near Moments on Twitter's website, which has caused some to suggest Twitter is using it as a way to increase mobile engagement with Moments.
glad twitter put a notification badge on the moments tab so that i'll compulsively tap it and their analytics will tell them i like it— Brian Lee (wow) (@LRcomic) October 7, 2015
"Why is 'moments' even a thing now? It's more of an annoyance than anything," writes one frustrated user in a review on iTunes. "It wouldn't be so bad but it's right on your little home bar in the middle of everything, and it constantly has a blue dot notifying you of new 'moments' every two seconds. What an unnecessary notification. I wish the moments feature was optional. So pointless!"
Unfortunately, we haven't found a way to get rid of the blue dot, but if it's really bothering you, there are a few options. The easiest option may be to use a different Twitter app. Twitterrific and Tweetbot are both popular, well-designed alternative Twitter clients that don't include support for Moments (at least for now, it's not clear if this is something Twitter will eventually make available to third-party developers).
And if you're getting push notifications to remind you to check the Moments tab, those are easily disabled. Head to the settings menu in your profile tab and go to Accounts -->(your account name) --> Mobile Notifications --> Moments reminders and make sure that option is turned off.