Official Android tech support on Twitter is easy and already a mess

By JC Torres/

The customer support landscape has changed over the course of the decades and it can be a difficult terrain to navigate depending on who you ask. Those more advanced in years still prefer real-time communication, sometimes via voice calls even, while younger people often "crowdsource" by throwing their questions on social media. Google seems to be trying to cover all its bases and has just formally announced a new way you can get tech support via Twitter. And, as you might expect, it's already a sordid mess.

Twitter has exploded from a medium that encouraged short bursts of emotions into a channel for long-winded rants delivered in bite-sized pieces. Often criticized for being a tool for distraction and disinformation (though much less than Facebook), it can also be used as a tool to assist others.

Google's @Android account is doing just that by encouraging those with technical problems to tag their questions with #AndroidHelp. Those familiar with how Twitter works won't find it surprising that the hashtag has immediately been flooded with questions, few of which actually had anything to do with Android support, at least the parts that Google's support team can directly answer.

What Google didn't tell was what questions would be considered proper for the hashtag. Apparently, #AndroidHelp only covered general troubleshooting, accessibility, security, and other Android features not specific to any OEM. That information is available on a Reddit post announcing the same feature but perhaps the brevity of Twitter posts made it possible to list them out. Ironic, ain't it?

So far the hashtag is filled to the brim with a wide variety of questions, including dates for Android updates to complaints about design. Almost foreshadowing how this support channel will end up, the official Android Twitter account has not answered a single one.

Recommended