How to Remove the New “Quick Bar” in Twitter for iPhone

The official Twitter for iPhone app has been updated with several new features. Unlike previous minor updates, Twitter 3.3 packs some significant changes to the app’s interface.

While there are some definite improvements in the app, many users have been complaining that the update does more harm than good…

Here’s the description of the 3.3 update:

What’s new in Version 3.3

  • Quick Bar, shows trends and other important things without leaving your timeline! Swipe the Quick Bar left/right to cycle through trends
  • Trends based on your location • Cleaner, redesigned Tweet compose screen.
  • Autocomplete @usernames and hashtags
  • Easier photo uploading
  • Find friends using your phone’s contacts
  • Improved DM conversation view, now works similar to SMS/Chat
  • Cleaned up preferences
  • Bug fixes

It’s worth noting that Twitter has added some very helpful features in 3.3. The compose tweet window has been cleaned up considerably, and the process of adding/uploading photos has been improved.

The autocomplete username feature is particularly helpful. That feature has been a popular request for quite some time, so it’s nice to see Twitter finally have it implemented into the app.

Unfortunately, Twitter’s new “Quick Bar” seems to really be getting on people’s nerves. The Quick Bar sits on top of your Twitter timeline, and it scrolls through the latest trending topics on refresh. Some of the topics are also “promoted” by Twitter, which basically means that you’re getting ads/trends thrown at you whenever you check your stream.

The problem with the Quick Bar is that it can’t be disabled in the app’s settings. Users have been complaining that the Quick Bar feels obtrusive, and people are upset that they can’t turn it off.

The good news is that jailbreakers can install a new tweak to disable Twitter’s Quick Bar. Prominent jailbreak developer chpwn has already released a free tweak that disables the Quick Bar in Twitter 3.3.

Twizzler removes Twitter’s new Quick Bar with one easy install from Cydia. If the Quick Bar is driving you nuts, head over to Cydia pronto and install this free tweak.

It made good business sense for Twitter to integrate trends and ads into the app’s timeline (they have to make money somehow), but not including the option to disable the Quick Bar was a bad move. Hopefully they’ll add on “off” button for the Quick Bar in the app’s next update.

[via TiPB]