Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter, it’s been a constant state of flux. From feature changes, and hierarchy shakeups, it’s been a never-ending rollercoaster ride. As expected, Twitter is again shaking things up by discontinuing free legacy verified badges from April 1st. This move comes after the global launch of Twitter Blue, a premium subscription service that adds a host of new features to the platform with a verified blue badge for anyone who subscribes.

What does this mean?

If you’ve been verified with a blue checkmark by the Twitter team, you’ll need to subscribe to Twitter Blue in order to keep your legacy verified account.

Beginning on April 1st, Twitter will be charging $8 per month for web subscriptions and $11 per month for Android or iPhone subscriptions (thanks to Google and Apple’s added taxes). If you’re determined to maintain your blue checkmark, it’s time to consider subscribing to Twitter Blue.

Twitter has also put some rules and eligibility criteria for Twitter Blue and new verified badges.

Recently, Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, said, “legacy blue checks will be removed soon.” He also referred to them as “truly corrupt” in response to a user who in response to a Twitter user who had called out to him, complaining that Twitter’s verification badge had lost its charm.

Is this really happening?

Many anticipate this could be an April Fool’s prank, given that Musk is known to have an unrelenting wicked sense of humor. However, all signs point to this being a real deal. Just a day before this news popped out, Twitter went global with its Blue subscription, making it accessible across the globe.

What can I do to keep it?

If you’re determined to hold onto your blue checkmark, subscribing to Twitter Blue is your only option. And if you want to save, it’s better to sign up through the official website rather than spending more money through Android or iOS.

Is there any advantage for me?

First off, you’d be losing your free legacy blue tick, so that’s a bitter pill to swallow. However, here’s what you can expect with Twitter Blue:

Available Features:

1. Edit Tweet: Allows you to make limited changes to published Tweets within a 30-minute window.
2. Bookmark Folders: Lets you group and organize Bookmarked Tweets into private folders.
3. Custom App icons: Lets you change the appearance of your Twitter app icon on your phone.
4. NFT Profile Pictures: Allows you to show off your digital assets as your profile picture.
5. Themes: Lets you choose from colorful options to personalize your app theme.
6. Custom Navigation: Lets you choose what appears in your navigation bar.
7. Spaces Tab: Provides easier access to audio content.
8. Top Articles: Lists the most-shared articles in your network.
9. Reader: Provides a more pleasant reading experience for long threads.
10. Undo Tweet: Allows you to retract a Tweet before it’s visible to others.
11. Longer video upload: Twitter Blue subscribers can upload videos up to ~60 minutes long up to 2GB file size (1080p) (web only).
12. SMS two-factor authentication: Adds an extra layer of security to your account. (no longer available for regular Twitter accounts)

Coming Soon:

• Half ads: Allows advertisers to show only half of a video ad with an option to skip.
• Longer Tweets: Lets Twitter Blue subscribers compose longer Tweets, up to 4,000 characters.
• Prioritized rankings in conversations: This can shoot your tweet up in Twitter threads

What happens to organizations?

Organizations (Business and Government accounts) will have to pony up a whopping $1,000 per month to maintain their Gold-verified badges. It’s definitely a sizable amount, but that’s the cost of keeping your business’s Gold-verified badge.

And it gets worse: If an organization previously had an associated account tied to its main account, you’ll need to pay an extra $50 per month for each account to get the blue verification badge on an associated account.

Organizations can apply for a Gold-verified badge here.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out our exclusive article on how to erase your Twitter presence altogether. Because sometimes, you just need to start fresh, am I right? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Would you pay to keep your legacy blue verified check on Twitter? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!