People are sad that Twitter removed their backgrounds

By Digiday • July 21, 2015 • 2 min read •

It’s not just you: Twitter looks naked today.

Users noticed that their custom wallpapers have been replaced with a plain white homepage background in a move that aligns the look of the desktop version with its mobile app. Backgrounds haven’t been completely eliminated as they still appear on individually linked tweets and lists pages.

The Twitterati isn’t pleased with the sudden change, though. One person is floating the idea that change is readying the website for “new background ad formats.” A source close to Twitter told Digiday it’s not related to the platform’s ad strategy, so don’t expect to see a takeover of your timeline from say, Dr. Pepper or another brand. For the time being.

Remember, last year Twitter revamped desktop user’s timelines to resemble its mobile app, so eliminating the background and clashing colors likely brings more unity between the two experiences. Twitter declined to comment on the record.

Still, people aren’t pleased considering that some of them had their backgrounds since they opened an account:

Why has @twitter deleted my background design? I’ve had that image for years and I don’t have the original file to re-upload it! :(

— Alex Wheeler (@AlexCWheeler) July 21, 2015

Really not happy about @twitter removing my background! I have used that same background for years and years! It looks boring now :(

— Matthew Marley (@matthewmarley) July 21, 2015

That new Twitter background on web be all pic.twitter.com/q8T8MeqFt4

— Sean Percival (@Percival) July 21, 2015

It’s too bad, Harper Lee was going to publish her 3rd novel exclusively as a Twitter background. Oh well.

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 21, 2015

Oh no, everyone on Twitter has a white background. It’s like we’ve been turned into Best Director nominees.

— Scott Renshaw (@scottrenshaw) July 20, 2015