Residencia to TIE swap (EX-23)

Can't recall ever having seen it suggested that a swap had to be made before the end of the transition period.

I have read on many a website forum, Should I, Will I, won’t I have to swop my original Residencia certificate, some exchanging as soon a the new biometric T.I.E card was first introduced in July of this year, bar talk and scaremongering was rife on some websites, even recently there were people asking questions on Facebook website forums and still do, the only downside I actually witnessed was that those people that rushed to exchange, although the Citizens advice Spain and UK gov websites published guidance that there was no rush or need to exchange at the time, those persons that did, including those people flying under the radar for many years caused a lot of strain on the Spanish authorities dealing with first time applications. 

"Should I, Will I, won’t I have to swop my original Residencia certificate" 

All of the above many many times but before the end of the transition period, never. 

Perhaps because you're a new member or it wasn't important to you, CharlieFarmer, but I have seen many reports - some on this forum - suggesting residents should make the swap before the end of the Brexit transition.  

I was urged by a former member on this forum to make the swap, telling me that it wouldn't impact first-time applicants because they were different processes.  I've since discovered that it's only the first part of the process that is different.  Those of us who made the Residencia to TIE swap did, in fact, take up the second stage appointments that could have been used by first-time applicants.