A new Twitter service, which allows users to share their tweets with a small, select audience, has been launched.

Twitter Circle – similar to Instagram’s ‘close friends’ feature – only allows up to 150 people to see a tweet.

A user can create a different Circle of up to 150 people each time they tweet and can choose anyone to see it – whether they follow them or not.

It is designed to allow people to share thoughts with a smaller crowd, rather than the full Twitterverse.

The service was first trialled back in May and was rolled out fully on Tuesday.

The impetus behind the circles is to help users gain more control over their privacy, though Twitter warns Circle tweets will still be subject to the platform’s community guidelines.

People in a Twitter Circle cannot retweet content outside, or in their own Twitter Circle, although screenshots can still be taken of posts by those inside.

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Jay Sullivan, general manager of consumer and revenue product at Twitter, said Circle was born in order to help those nervous about Tweeting universally to “break the ice, feel more comfortable Tweeting”.

It was, he said, “a way to communicate more privately with your people”.

He added: “You can share your thoughts about culture, sports, music, work – or personal updates – with a smaller list of people that you select, and not the whole world.

“Choose your Circle of up to 150 people and share away! We will continue to build a healthier, more enjoyable Twitter so that each of you can join the public conversation on your own terms.”

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How do I Circle Tweet?

Circles are created in users’ settings.

Once the group is chosen, a circle-only tweet is sent by following the prompt that pops up when drafting a new tweet.

Tweets sent to a Circle have a marker at the bottom and appear on the general timeline of the Circle follower.

Only fellow Circle followers can reply and see new replies.

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