Sending Direct Messages - Twitter - VoiceOver - iPad

Sending a Direct Message in Twitter with VoiceOver

If there is one Twitter topic that splits opinion it must be the sending and receiving of direct messages. Some people just loathe them, considering direct messages pretty much out of sync with a social (and very public) technology such as Twitter. Other users, while they don't object to the Direct Message functionality as such, don't use it much if at all anyway.

The love it or hate it perception of the direct message might be a result of the spammers and more aggressive online marketers who have used and abused the function, turning it almost into a kind of Twitter "fishing" tool - especially among new connections. To be sure, the behaviour of continually sending direct messages is a bit of cultural no-no and runs considerable reputational risk.

My own personal feeling about the Direct Message is that it's good to have the option. However, I tend to the view that if, in a future update, this particular functionality is removed entirely it wouldn't really concern me in the slightest. That said, I'm quite sure a lot of non-personal account holders would be concerned and the cynic might say that, as a result of this, the Direct Message is likely to remain part of Twitter life.

What is a Direct Message in Twitter?

In Twitter a Direct Message is a personal private message sent between you and one of your followers. What makes it different from a standard tweet of course is that it is only visible to you and the recipient in private - it won't show up for any other followers. (Ironically, it is this very privacy that turns a lot of people off using the feature.) So, now that we know what it is, let's experiment!

Sending a Direct Message Using VoiceOver

Before the instructions, remember that if you are using a different device - or even different versions of iOS - then you may need to make some allowances as you go through the following steps:

1. Launch the main Twitter app.
2. Navigate (using "finger drag" or by swiping) to the Me taband DOUBLE TAP to launch. On my iPad Mini the Me tab is located on the left hand side of the app, about a third of the way down the screen.
3. Move to the Me heading located at the top, middle of the screen.
4. From the Me heading SWIPE RIGHT to pass various other options such as Search button, Compose Tweet button and profile photo.
5. After passing the Settings button and Switch Account button, focus will be on the Direct Messages button. Use the standard DOUBLE TAP gesture to activate this.
6. When the Direct Message screen launches, focus will be on a Close button, located in the top left of the screen on my iPad. From there, I SWIPE RIGHT and eventually have focus on the New Message button.
7. A DOUBLE TAP on the New Message button will open the Messages panel and force focus to a text edit field where you can enter the name of the recipient.
8. All Twitter user names start with an "@" symbol so use the onscreen keyboard to locate this character and start typing the user name. As you type, a drop down list of matches will pop up - giving you the option of finger dragging down to select the required follower name from the list. You will need to DOUBLE TAP to confirm your choice from the list.
9. After you have confirmed the recipient name, focus will move to the main text edit field, allowing you to input your 140 character long Direct Message. Once more, use the onscreen keyboard to input or use the dictation tool to complete this.
10. With the message completed, SWIPE RIGHT to the characters left figure and then SWIPE RIGHT again to focus on the Send button. DOUBLE TAP the Send button and your Direct Message will be on its way to the recipient.
11. When you are done, close the Direct Messages screen by locating the Close button in the top left and DOUBLE TAP. Focus will return to your Me tab.

And that's it for Direct Messages - just be careful on how you use them! Have fun!