Twitter executives revealed the company began testing a new system which would let users follow topics in addition to individual users, one of several updates the company is considering.

TechCrunch reported topics will be selected by Twitter staff, with machine learning used to populate feeds with content. The same feature would also allow users to mute tweets.

At a press event, Twitter bosses said it is trialling the topics function on its Android app, with an initial focus on sports-related topics. The goal is to expand it to cover beauty, public figures and television shows, they told TechCrunch.

The company is still exploring how best to integrate topic tweets into user streams, reportedly considering creation of a separate timeline.

Other features under consideration include a method for Android users to snooze notifications, along with adding compatibility for Apple Live Photos, The Verge reported.