Twitter has acquired an up and coming Android app called Cover that customizes a smartphone's lock screen based on the user's location.
The purchase marks Twitter's first investment into Android-exclusive software, something Twitter hasn't done for iOS, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The deal was announced on Cover's Tumblr blog, but no details were disclosed.
"Twitter, like Cover, believes in the incredible potential of Android," said the blog post. "They share our vision that smartphones can be a lot smarter--more useful and more contextual--and together we're going to make that happen. We'll be building upon a lot of what makes Cover great, and we're thrilled to create something even better at Twitter."
Cover was co-founded by Gmail product leader Todd Jackson, according to CNET. The app works with a device's most-used apps, customizing its lockscreen based on context and "learning" which apps are used at which times. With Cover, for example, a phone will show different apps when people are in the car or at work.
The acquisition hints at a different Twitter experience for Android users, WSJ noted. It also demonstrates the emphasis that Twitter puts on mobile use since more than 75 percent of the network's members use the service through smartphones and other devices.
The Cover app, which debuted last fall and has hundreds of thousands of users, will stay in the Google Play Store for now while Cover employees work on something new, said the blog post.
Twitter spokespeople have remained quiet on why the social network decided to purchase the app. WSJ suggested that purchasing the app could give the 140-character messaging service an extra edge as the app market becomes more crowded.
"As more and more apps compete for the user's attention, Cover's acquisition could help keep Twitter top of mind."
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