DeSantis to use Twitter Spaces to announce he's running for president. But what is it?

Cheryl McCloud, Tallahassee Democrat

May 24, 2023 at 8:18 AM·4 min read

It's official, sort of. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to formally declare today he's running for president.

The announcement will come with the help of SpaceX founder and Twitter CEO Elon Musk on an unexpected platform: Twitter Spaces.

DeSantis will announce his presidential bid during the 6 p.m. Twitter Spaces event with Musk, according to four sources with knowledge of the event. Tech entrepreneur David Sacks will moderate.

"I will be interviewing Ron DeSantis and he has quite an announcement to make," Musk said Tuesday during The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit.

"It will be the first time that something like this is happening on social media and with real time questions and answers, not scripted."

Musk to help launch DeSantis' campaign: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will kick off 2024 presidential bid with Elon Musk on Twitter

How to watch: Elon Musk will host Ron DeSantis on Twitter Spaces. How to listen on iPhone, tablets or desktop PC

Here's an explanation of what Twitter Spaces is.

What is a Twitter Space?

A Twitter Space is a way to have live audio conversations on Twitter.

Can anyone join a Twitter Space?

A Twitter Space is public. Spaces can be listened to by anyone on the internet. Anyone can join as a listener, including people who don’t follow you.

Listeners can be directly invited into a Space by direct messaging them a link to the Space, Tweeting out a link, or sharing a link elsewhere, such as your home page.

Users looking for tonight's event now won't find it until it's officially announced.

How does a Twitter Space work?

The creator of the Space is the host. Up to 13 people — including the host and 2 co-hosts — can speak in a Space at any given time.

The Twitter Space can be scheduled, like the one set up for the 6 p.m. announcement.

Once the Space has started, the host can send requests to listeners to become co-hosts or speakers.

Listeners can request permission to speak from the host by selecting the request icon below the microphone.

Where are Twitter Spaces available?

Anyone can create, join, listen and speak in a Space on Twitter for iOS and Android. Currently, starting a Space on a web browser is not possible.

Can anyone create a Twitter Space?

People on Twitter for iOS and Android can start a Space as long as they have 600 followers.

Can everyone see a Twitter Space?

Yes. For now, all Spaces are public, just like Tweets. They automatically appear at the top of your home timeline, and each Space has a link that can be shared publicly.

Since Spaces are publicly accessible, it may be possible for people to listen to a Space without being listed as a guest in the Space.

Can other people 'see me' when I'm in a Twitter Space?

Since all Spaces are public, your presence and activity in a Space is also public.

If you are logged into your Twitter account when you are in a Space, you will be visible to everyone in the Space, as well as to others, including people who follow you.

If you are listening in a Space, your profile icon will appear with a purple pill at the top of your followers’ home timelines. You have the option to change this in your settings.

People can be invited to a Twitter Space

Invite people to join a Space by sending an invite via DM (direct message), tweeting the link out to your home timeline, or copying the invite link to send it out.

Can someone be blocked from a Twitter Space?

Yes. While in a Space, a user can select a profile photo to pull up the option menu and selecting block. This action will also block the account on Twitter. Blocking someone in a Space will not automatically remove them from the Space unless the person doing the blocking is a host or co-host of the Space.

Is a Space recorded?

That is up to the host, who can choose to record a Space prior to starting it. They can then download copies of a recorded Space for as long as Twitter has it.

Do I need an app to listen to the Twitter Space?

No. On your browser, go to twitter.com. You do not need to have a Twitter account.

On your phone, you can access the Space through a browser or via the Twitter app. The Twitter app is available in the App Store and Google Play.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Twitter Spaces: What is it and can you listen to Florida Gov DeSantis?

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