Twitter has updated its iOS app to version 5.5, adding the ability to launch and install apps from within a tweet on the iPhone. The new functionality is part of Twitter's updated Cards feature, which was introduced yesterday at a developer meetup.
Apps that support the new Card functions can be installed directly from a link within Twitter. Currently, that includes apps like Vine, Etsy, Flickr, Foursquare, Jawbone, and Path, among others. When a user tweets from one of the aforementioned third party apps, the tweet will include a link to download the app.
The update also includes faster launch times and performance upgrades along with bug fixes.
Twitter for iPhone now helps you discover, install and launch your favorite apps from Tweets. This update also includes the following improvements:
-Faster launch times and general performance upgrades
-"Retweeted by" in Tweet detail is now tappable
-Fix for reply-to-self in conversations
-Fix for bug that prevented undoing retweets in some cases
Twitter for iOS is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
That is all nice and all, but I think that sets a dangerous precedence for smaller developers (or users of superior apps from smaller developers). And it remains to be seen if third party Twitter apps (e.g., Tweetbot) will (or will be allowed to) implement Cards.
It encourages developers to integrate sharing through twitter because it'll mean their existing users will easily convert their friends into new users. And by having more apps sharing on twitter, it encourages more people to log onto twitter to see what's being shared by their friends.
Developers win.
Twitter wins.
Users win.
Everyone wins?