Twitter creates New Year's Eve stickers that look a lot like Snapchat filters
2016 was rough for many reasons. For Twitter, the year included a languishing of its stock price, many exits of top leaders, struggle to combat abuse and a failed attempt to be acquired.
But Twitter is ringing in the new year with as much joy as it can via its platform. It is introducing New Year's Eve stickers for users to attach to photos that show scenes in Dubai, London, New York, Paris, Rio, Sydney, Tokyo and New Delhi.
On top of that, Twitter will also livestream the New Year's Eve firework displays in downtown Dubai on the site, following in its effort to be a go-to destination for live video (not just the conversation around it).
Interestingly, the stickers look much like the geofilters Snapchat has popularized and Facebook has since copied. But while those are generated based on a user's location, anyone can access each of the city filters on Twitter.
In a unique twist to Snapchat's and Facebook's features, stickers on Twitter are searchable. When you tap one on mobile or click on desktop, the site opens a feed of photos that include specific stickers. The stickers for New Year's Eve are available until Jan. 3.
Twitter also has reactivated the fireworks emoji it debuted on the site last year. When Twitter users tweet with the hashtag #HappyNewYear, in English and more than 30 other languages, a fireworks emoji will automatically appear.
The hearts displayed on Twitter's user-generated livestream app Periscope will include fireworks when users include the hashtag #2017.
The livestream of the fireworks in Dubai begins at 8:30 a.m. EST on Saturday and will be available to logged-in and logged-out users on Twitter and connected apps. That means way before the countdown begins in Times Square or Twitter employees celebrate at their home base in San Francisco, you can go to Twitter to watch fireworks.
It's the first time Twitter has done this kind of partnership on New Year's and the first livestream deal Twitter has made in the Middle East and North Africa region. Last year, Twitter teamed up with Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment to display tweets during the festivities in Times Square.
"Live streaming the firework displays, combined with the live conversation on Twitter, will allow people across the world to view and Tweet about the festivities as they happen, creating a truly global celebration," Kinda Ibrahim, Twitter's director of media partnerships for Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.
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