Twitter’s India rival Koo undergoes a makeover aimed to grow user engagement

As microblogging site Twitter takes centrestage with its $44 billion acquisition by tech billionaire Elon Musk, Indian homegrown rival Koo is planning a design revamp for an immersive browsing experience. Koo said that the new design features will be accessible to users across iOS and Android operating systems. The move, as per the social media company, is aimed to enhance user engagement on the platform.

The new design has been crafted with a user-centric approach and is visually appealing, intuitive and engaging. In a significant upgrade on its predecessor, the new interface is smooth and easy-to-navigate. It is designed to provide a sleek and contemporary experience for users, according to a company statement.

Bengaluru-based Koo, according to sources, is also in talks with global investment giants like Tiger Global for a fresh funds raise and is backed by some of the prominent start-up founders in India. Tiger Global led a $30 million Series C funds raise round in Koo last year with existing investors Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital, Blume Ventures and Dream Incubator.

“User delight is at the core of our brand philosophy. We constantly iterate, especially when it comes to our user interface, to provide our users with the best possible experience. The introduction of an immersive browsing experience is the first step towards building the best multi-lingual microblogging platform in the world. We have already received great feedback from the community and this is just the beginning towards introducing superior browsing experiences on Koo,” Priyank Sharma, Head of Design, Koo, said.

The new browsing experience amplifies the overall user interface. By removing the left gutter space, content is now spread edge-to-edge, making it easier for users to scan for relevant information, Koo claimed in a statement. It also reduces unnecessary noise and clutter, making the app look cleaner. The user experience is seamless and frictionless and is centered around maximising usability and the time spent by users on the app, Koo pointed out in a statement.

Notably, the Aprameya Radhakrishna-led Koo calls itself a microblogging site which reaches audiences beyond the medium of English language, and with a focus on vernacular language.

Radhakrishna in a Koo on Tuesday also stated that the platform is the only microblogging site globally which isn’t run by a single person. The comments came after Musk’s takeover of Twitter.