There's a new development in the Twitter blue checkmark saga. Some previously verified users on Monday reported that writing "former blue check" in their Twitter profile bios made the coveted blue checkmark reappear. However, the blue tick is only temporarily seen by accountholders and then it soon disappears.

CNBC-TV18's own Vijay Anand tried the trick and noticed that his checkmark came back. Unlike for Twitter Blue subscribers, in Vijay’s case, clicking on the blue checkmark showed this message:

"This account is verified because it's notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category."

While most people that tried this loophole reported that their fleeting verification was not visible to others, Vijay actually reported that he could see CNBC-TV18's Executive Editor Sriram Iyer's blue checkmark when the latter added "former blue checkmark" to his bio.

Amongst others who noticed this glitch were CBS News reporter Cristina Corujo and former Vogue India editor Aishwarya Subramanyam. They also posted on Twitter about their revelation based on a viral thread.

Subramanyam noticed that just writing the word "check" in her bio also worked. However, it's unclear whether the blue checkmark stays only if you retain the "former blue check" bit in the bio. In CNBC-TV18's Sriram's case, the blue tick disappeared after some time.

The hack has been tried by several people on Twitter now including Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz and Bustle editor Brian Hernandez.

These hint at a glitch on Twitter's end or a coding error as the checkmark is not visible to other users. Also, it only works if the user was formerly legacy verified.

According to Twitter's Help Center, accounts actively subscribed to Twitter Blue will be eligible to receive the blue checkmark. Pricing for the Twitter Blue subscription is available on a monthly or annual basis based on your platform (web, iOS or Android).

ALSO READ | Twitter Verified unfollows all accounts amid chaos over blue ticks

In India, a monthly subscription costs Rs 900 for iOS and Android, and Rs 650 for the web. Annually, it costs Rs 9,400 for both mobile platforms and Rs 6,800 for the web.

It's worth noting that Twitter Blue's initial rollout has been marred with controversy, with many users reporting issues with the paid subscription service.

The Elon Musk-led social media platform sunsetted its legacy verification programme starting April 1, which has led to several hiccups along the way.

ALSO READ | Twitter blue ticks: High-profile accounts with 1 million+ followers get their checkmarks back

Soon after India's top celebrities and political personalities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Gandhi lost their verified status on Twitter, the company walked back its policy. Verification badges were reinstated for several high-profile celebrity accounts with over a million followers.

Additionally, Twitter also restored the blue ticks for late global celebrities such as basketball icon Kobe Bryant and actor Chadwick Boseman.

This is just the latest step development in loopholes found in Musk's Twitter Blue project, which is turning out to have a not-so-well-thought-out rollout.

First Published:May 2, 2023 7:07 PM IST