X’s Transformation: A Year Under Elon Musk’s Leadership
The Billionaire’s Vision for the Platform
It’s been a year since Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, made his grand entrance as the owner of Twitter (now rebranded as X). Driven by a desire to eliminate spam bots and champion free speech, Musk’s acquisition has transformed the platform in ways that extend beyond its name.
“This is just my strong, intuitive sense that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization. I don’t care about the economics at all.”
The Tumultuous Acquisition Process
Despite Musk’s initial enthusiasm, the road to acquiring X was far from smooth. In May, he attempted to back out of the deal, citing concerns about the platform’s bot count. However, after a chaotic legal discovery process that even included the revelation of embarrassing texts, Musk was compelled to finalize the acquisition in October.
A Year of Chaos and Change
Since taking X private, Musk’s tenure has been marked by a whirlwind of changes, including verification chaos, API access shakeups, ban reversals, massive layoffs, and the rebranding to X. Musk also stepped down as CEO, transitioning to the role of executive chair and CTO, with Linda Yaccarino taking the helm as the new X CEO.
X’s Second Year: Recent Developments and Controversies
Premium Features for Free Users
In a recent post on X, Musk announced that accounts with more than 2,500 “verified subscriber followers” will gain access to Premium features for free, while those with more than 5,000 followers will enjoy Premium+ features at no cost.
Going forward, all 𝕏 accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2024
Testing NSFW Adult Communities
As one of the few social networks that allows NSFW content, X is apparently testing an addition to its Communities feature that would enable users to create groups for adult content, potentially providing creators with a more direct way to reach their audience.
Grok Chatbot Access for Premium Subscribers
Musk recently announced that Grok, X’s AI chatbot, will become available to all Premium subscribers. Previously, access to Grok was limited to subscribers of the higher-end Premium+ tier.
Declining Usage and Canceled Partnerships
A recent report from Sensor Tower reveals that X usage in the U.S. has declined by 18% year-over-year as of February 2024, with the daily active user base flatlining or declining every month since Musk’s takeover. Additionally, former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced that Musk has canceled the deal for his upcoming talk show on X, with Musk citing the show’s approach as “basically just ‘CNN, but on social media.'”
Expanding to TV Streaming
In a move to broaden its reach, X is set to launch a video streaming app on Samsung and Amazon TVs, offering users a YouTube-like experience on their television screens.
As X enters its second year under Musk’s ownership, the platform continues to evolve, facing both challenges and opportunities in its quest to redefine social media.
X’s Expansion Plans: From Video Streaming to Betting Partnerships
X Launches YouTube-like Video App for Smart TVs
In a bid to transform X into an all-encompassing platform, Elon Musk has announced plans to introduce a video streaming app for Samsung and Amazon smart TVs. This dedicated app will enable users to watch X videos on larger screens, similar to the experience offered by YouTube.
Premium+ Users and Organizations Can Now Publish Articles on X
X has introduced a new feature allowing Premium+ subscribers and verified organizations to publish longer posts, akin to blog posts or Medium articles. This Articles feature supports text formatting, embedded X posts, videos, and images. The move follows X’s decision to increase the character limit for long posts to 25,000 for paying users.
X’s Voice Call Feature Raises Privacy Concerns
Elon Musk has launched audio and video calling on X, but the new feature, which is enabled by default, has raised privacy concerns. It can leak users’ IP addresses to anyone they communicate with and can be confusing to configure. TechCrunch provides a step-by-step guide on how to disable the feature.
Former Twitter Executives Sue Elon Musk Over Unpaid Severance
Four former Twitter executives, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, claiming they are owed over $128 million in severance payments. The lawsuit cites Walter Isaacson’s biography of Musk, in which the X CEO is quoted as saying he would “hunt every single one” of Twitter’s C-suite “till the day they die.”
Legal Battles and Content Moderation Challenges
X Faces Off Against the Center for Countering Digital Hate in Court
X Corp is embroiled in a legal battle with the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit that researches hate speech, extremism, and misinformation on social media platforms. X accused the organization of “actively working to assert false and misleading claims about X” in a lawsuit last year. A judge has hinted that the suit may be dismissed.
X Complies with Indian Government Orders to Withhold Accounts and Tweets
X has announced that it is withholding specific accounts and posts in India in response to executive orders issued by the Indian government. While the company disagrees with the action, noncompliance would have subjected the firm to “potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment.”
X to Allow Advertisers to Run Ads Next to Select Creators
In an effort to address advertisers’ concerns about their ads appearing next to controversial or offensive content, X will soon allow advertisers to run ads next to a curated list of content creators. This move follows an exodus of numerous brands from X last year after their ads appeared next to pro-Nazi content.
New Partnerships and User Engagement
X Partners with BetMGM to Introduce Sports Betting
X has partnered with BetMGM to introduce sports betting on the platform. Initially, U.S. users will be able to explore betting odds on pro football, with more professional and college sports to be added over time.
Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview Drives X to Top of U.S. App Store
Following Tucker Carlson’s announcement that he would be interviewing Russian president Vladimir Putin on X, the app soared to the top of the U.S. App Store. Appfigures estimates that X gained 117,000 new downloads on the day of the announcement, up from 93,000 the day before.
X CEO Claims 90M U.S. Users, Less Than 1% Are Teens
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on kids’ online safety, X CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that less than 1% of the app’s U.S. users were teens aged 13 through 17. She also claimed that X had 90 million U.S. users, a decrease from the estimated 95.4 million users reported in January 2023.
X Announces Expansion of Trust and Safety Team in Austin
In a move to bolster content moderation efforts, X revealed plans to establish a new “Trust and Safety” center in Austin, Texas. The center will employ 100 full-time moderators, marking a significant shift from the company’s previous downsizing of trust and safety teams, engineers, and other staff following Elon Musk’s acquisition more than a year ago.
Swifties Unite Against Explicit Deepfakes on X
Taylor Swift fans took a stand against the spread of nonconsensual deepfake porn featuring the singer on X. One post garnered over 45 million views before its removal. In response, the fandom organized a campaign to bury the AI-generated content under search terms like “taylor swift ai” and “taylor swift deepfake.”
X Discontinues NFT Profile Picture Support
X discreetly removed the ability for paid subscribers to set an NFT as their profile picture. Launched by previous management in January 2022, the feature allowed Twitter Blue subscribers to display NFTs minted on Ethereum as unique hexagonal avatars. While users with existing NFT profile pictures still have hexagonal avatars, it remains uncertain if X will remove those as well.
X Teases Peer-to-Peer Payments and AI Advancements
In a blog post, X announced plans to introduce peer-to-peer payments this year, aiming to enhance user utility and create new opportunities for commerce. The company also stated that AI would increasingly power the user and advertising experience, including search, ads, and a new “See Dissimilar Posts” feature.
X Temporarily Suspends Accounts of Musk Critics
Several journalists, commentators, and podcasters who have been critical of Elon Musk had their X accounts temporarily suspended, including Steven Monacelli from The Texas Observer, Ken Klippenstein from The Intercept, Alan MacLeod from MintPress News, and The TrueAnon podcast. The affected accounts were reinstated a few hours later.
X Experiments with Link Preview Headlines
X briefly reintroduced headlines to link preview cards using a small font at the bottom of the cards. Several users reported seeing titles on link cards on the web, with some titles being truncated due to character limits. The company seemingly removed the new format hours later but has since brought it back.
X Introduces Affordable “Verified Organizations” Tier for Small Businesses
X’s “Verified Organizations” program now offers a $200 per month tier tailored for small businesses. This basic tier follows the launch of the $1,000 per month offering for businesses on the platform.
Fidelity Significantly Reduces X’s Valuation
Mutual fund company Fidelity marked down its investment in X holdings by 71.5% compared to the original valuation of shares. Fidelity had invested $19.2 million to acquire a stake in X in October 2022 and had previously made a 65% valuation cut a year later.
Video Coming to X Spaces
In an effort to enhance user engagement without relying on third-party platforms, X will be introducing video to Spaces. Musk stated that X aims to launch the feature by the end of the year, but “certainly by early next year.”
Alex Jones and Infowars Return to X Following User Poll
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his media site Infowars were reinstated on X after Musk conducted a user poll. The decision to bring back the controversial figure and his platform has sparked debate and criticism.
X Faces Controversy and Changes as Musk Steers the Platform
Controversial Figures Reinstated on X
In a surprising turn of events, Alex Jones and Infowars are back on X after they were “permanently banned” from Twitter by the previous management in 2018.
Elon Musk, the new owner of X, ran a poll asking whether it was appropriate to bring Jones back to the platform. Nearly 2 million people voted, with about 70% saying Jones’ account should be restored.
Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform?
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2023
xAI’s Chatbot ‘Grok’ Launches to Premium+ Subscribers
‘Grok,’ xAI’s “rebellious” AI chatbot, has rolled out to all U.S. X Premium+ subscribers. Musk cautioned that the beta would face many issues, though it would be steadily improved. He also said that all English language users who subscribe to Premium+ would gain access to Grok in “about a week or so.”
X Gains Payment Processing Licenses in a Dozen U.S. States
Musk is moving forward with his plans to morph X into a payments platform. The company in late November was granted three additional money transmitter licenses in South Dakota, Kansas and Wyoming, bringing the total number of states where the company is allowed to engage in money transfers to 12.
X to Focus on Small and Medium-Sized Advertisers After Losing Major Brands
A new report by the Financial Times says X will turn to small and medium-sized advertisers to shore up revenue. This comes after Elon Musk alienated big brands fleeing the platform over his endorsement of an antisemitic post.
X Sues Media Matters for Defamation Over Ad Placement Claims
X filed a lawsuit alleging defamation by Media Matters over claims that major companies like IBM, Apple and Oracle had ads appear next to antisemitic content.
“The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and all those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company,” Musk said.
X to Bring Back Headlines in Link Previews
X will reportedly start showing headlines in preview cards with URLs on the platform after removing them in October. Musk said an update will overlay the headline in the upper portion of the image of a URL card. He didn’t mention any specific timeline for rollout for the update.
In an upcoming release, 𝕏 will overlay title in the upper potion of the image of a URL card
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2023
Major Advertisers Pause Spending on X After Musk Endorses Antisemitic Post
After Musk amplified antisemitic conspiracy theories on X, numerous high-profile advertisers paused their spending on the platform. They include: Apple, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, IBM, Paramount Global, Lionsgate, European Commission, Walmart and as of the time of this update’s publication, X has launched a new job search feature. Verified Organizations can now post job listings, allowing users to search for opportunities by keyword and location. X plans to introduce more advanced filtering options, job recommendations, and the ability to save roles for later.
Watchdog Group Files FTC Complaint Over Unlabeled Ads
X faced scrutiny in September for running unlabeled ads. Independent non-profit Check My Ads has now filed a formal complaint with the FTC, urging an investigation into X’s advertising practices, particularly the lack of disclosure about sponsored posts.
Algorithm Update Prioritizes Smaller Accounts
X’s CEO, Elon Musk, announced an algorithm update that will surface posts from smaller accounts in the For You feed, which typically showcases popular and trending content alongside posts from followed accounts.
Controversial Ad Campaign Sparks Debate
Conservative media nonprofit PragerU ran a “timeline takeover” ad on X, promoting the hashtag “#DETRANS” to advertise an anti-trans film. PragerU chose X for its campaign, citing it as one of the least censored social media platforms since Musk’s acquisition. In a press release, PragerU stated:
“[X] is one of the least censored social media platforms”
Beloved Circles Feature Discontinued
On October 31, X shut down its Circles feature, which allowed users to share posts with a small, exclusive audience, similar to Instagram’s Close Friends. The reason for the feature’s discontinuation, just over a year after its August 2022 launch, remains unclear.
X Tests $1 Annual Fee for New Users in Select Markets
X is experimenting with a $1 per year fee for new users in New Zealand and the Philippines. The company aims to reduce spam, manipulation, and bot activity while maintaining platform accessibility. X plans to use payment, phone, and ID verification to combat bots.
Report Suggests Decline in X Traffic and Monthly Active Users
According to data from market intelligence firm Similarweb, X’s global site traffic decreased by 14% year-over-year in September, with U.S. traffic down by 19%. Mobile performance also declined by 17.8% year-over-year in the U.S., based on monthly active users on iOS and Android.
Private Communities Introduce Member Vetting Feature
Admins of private Communities on X can now require users to answer a question and agree to the group’s rules when requesting to join. This new feature aims to help admins and moderators decide who should be allowed to join and protect against spammers and bots.
X Updates Community Notes to Improve Fact-Checking
After facing criticism for taking multiple days to correct misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war, X implemented several updates to its Community Notes fact-checking system:
- X CEO Linda Yaccarino promised faster appearance of Community Notes on the platform
- Note previews are now supported on Android and the web, with iOS support coming soon
- Improved media matching
- Notifications will be sent to users who interacted with a post that later received a note
Changes to X’s “Public Interest Expectations”
X removed the requirement of having at least 100,000 followers for posts to be considered newsworthy. Previously, only verified accounts were eligible for newsworthy posts. This change comes after X allowed users to purchase verification through its Twitter Blue subscription.
X’s Evolving Policies and Features: A Comprehensive Overview
Newsworthy Posts Limited to High-Profile Accounts
X, formerly known as Twitter, has updated its policy regarding newsworthy posts. While the platform previously allowed people to get verified by paying for a subscription, the new version of the policy states that only posts by “a high-profile account” are considered newsworthy. However, the updated page does not provide specifics on what constitutes a “high-profile” account.
Verified Users Gain Control Over Replies
X has introduced a new control that allows users to limit replies to their posts to only verified accounts. This feature is not exclusive to paid/premium accounts, meaning even non-paying users can restrict non-verified users from replying to their posts. The platform has been iterating on this feature since 2020, initially limiting replies to “Accounts you follow” or “Only accounts you mention” and later allowing users to control replies after a tweet was published in 2021.
Three-Tier Premium Service in the Works
During a briefing to X debt holders on October 5th, CEO Linda Yaccarino discussed plans to test a three-tier premium service. While the launch date remains unclear, references found in the X app’s code by @aaronp613 suggest the tiers will be named “Premium Basic,” “Premium Standard,” and “Premium Plus,” offering full ads, half the ads, or no ads, respectively.
Link Previews Lose Headlines
As part of Elon Musk’s efforts to encourage users to post “long-form content” directly on the platform, X has removed headlines from link previews. Now, users will only see an image with the domain name of the link on the bottom left, which may be easily overlooked. This change aims to discourage users from clicking out of the platform via link cards.
X Corp. Faces Trademark Lawsuit
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben and his firm are representing a Florida-based social media ad agency, X Social Media, in what appears to be the first lawsuit against X over its trademark. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, asserts that X Social Media, LLC has been using the X Social Media Mark in commerce since at least early 2016 and has invested significantly in marketplace awareness, including developing a distinctive “X” mark associated with its social media advertising services.
Farewell to Circles
X has announced the deprecation of its Circles feature, effective October 31st, 2023. After this date, users will no longer be able to create new posts limited to their Circle or add people to their Circle. However, users will still be able to remove people from their Circle by unfollowing them, as described on X’s support page.
Audio and Video Calls for Premium Subscribers
Tech veteran-turned-investor Chris Messina has uncovered new code in the X app, revealing that both audio and video calls will be supported. However, this feature will only be available to those with an X Premium membership.
X Considers Charging Users a Monthly Fee
During a live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, X Owner Elon Musk mentioned that the company was “moving to a small monthly payment” for the use of the platform. He suggested that such a change would be necessary to deal with the problem of bots. While Musk did not confirm the cost of the new subscription payment, he described it as a “small amount of money.”
Government ID-Based Account Verification Launched
X has partnered with Israel-based Au10tix to launch government ID-based account verification for paid users. This initiative aims to prevent impersonation and provide benefits such as “prioritized support” to verified users. The pop-up for ID verification indicates that Au10tix could store this data for up to 30 days.
X’s Advertising and User Data Collection Practices Raise Concerns
Unlabeled Ads Spotted in Users’ Following Feeds
While browsing the Following feed on a Mac using Google Chrome, The Zero Byte noticed several unlabeled ads interspersed with posts from followed accounts. This makes the unlabeled ads more difficult to identify, as many of X’s ads still display the “Ad” label in the top right corner of the post. It remains unclear whether this issue is a glitch or an intentional change to X’s advertising platform.
X Prohibits Scraping and Crawling Without Prior Written Consent
Effective September 29, X’s updated terms prohibit any form of scraping or crawling without prior written consent. The previous version of the terms allowed crawling in accordance with robots.txt.
NOTE: crawling or scraping the Services in any form, for any purpose without our prior written consent is expressly prohibited.
Community Notes Expands to Videos on X
X has announced that Community Notes, a crowdsourced moderation program, is now available for videos. Notes attached to a video by contributors will appear in all posts featuring that video.
X to Collect Users’ Biometric Data, Education, and Job History
Starting September 29, X will begin collecting users’ biometric information, education, and job history, as stated in their updated privacy policy. While X hasn’t provided specifics on what biometric information entails or how it will be collected, it is typically used to describe physical characteristics such as facial features or fingerprints.
“Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the updated policy reads.
Paid Users Can Now Hide Their Likes on X
X has introduced a new setting for paid users, allowing them to hide their Likes tab under profile customization. This move follows rival social networks Threads and Bluesky rolling out the ability for users to view their own likes.
X Lifts Ban on Paid Political Ads
X has confirmed that it is lifting its ban on paid political ads, a move it committed to earlier this year shortly after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social network formerly known as Twitter. The ban was originally implemented in 2019 under former CEO Jack Dorsey’s leadership.
X Offers $250 Ad Credit to Lure Back Advertisers
In an effort to attract advertisers, X has announced a one-time ad credit of $250 for select businesses that spend $1,000 or more on new ad campaigns within the next 30 days.
X Retires Legacy API Endpoints and Tiers
X has announced that it is discontinuing some legacy API endpoints while migrating others to the new v2 API. The company also stated in a post that it is retiring the legacy Essential and Elevated tiers, requiring customers to transition to one of the new tiers.
X Plans to Hide Headlines from News Links for Improved Aesthetics
Elon Musk has confirmed plans to introduce a new way of displaying news links without headlines or descriptions in posts, claiming that the change would “greatly improve the aesthetics.” Currently, a Twitter card for a news article displays the headline, summary text, and header image in the preview card of a post. If the proposed change is implemented, X will only show the image and link in a post, meaning that if a publication or blog doesn’t include accompanying text with the link, users will only see the link and the image for that article.
Elon Musk Announces Removal of ‘Block’ Feature, Except for Direct Messages
In a recent post on X, Elon Musk wrote, “Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs.”
X Introduces New Features and Changes as It Rebrands from Twitter
Sorting Posts by Like Counts on Logged-Out Profiles
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has implemented a new way of sorting posts on profiles when users are logged out. Instead of displaying posts in chronological order, they are now sorted based on their performance and like counts. This change applies even to pinned posts, which will no longer appear at the top of the profile feed when logged out, essentially nullifying the purpose of pinning a post.
Introducing the ‘Highlights’ Tab for Paid Users
In mid-August, X began rolling out a new ‘Highlights’ tab to some subscribers. According to the updated support page, the company is now making this feature available to all paid users, providing them with a dedicated space to showcase their posts.
X Pro Becomes a Subscriber-Only Product
X Pro, previously known as TweetDeck, is now exclusively accessible to subscribers. While the company had initially announced that TweetDeck would be limited to verified users within 30 days starting from July 3, the implementation of this new rule was slightly delayed.
Lowered Requirements for Creator Payout Program
X has made changes to its creator payout program, lowering the eligibility requirements. Creators who have garnered 5 million impressions in the last three months will now be eligible for ad revenue sharing, a significant reduction from the previous requirement of 15 million impressions. Additionally, creators will be able to withdraw earnings as low as $10 instead of the previous $50 threshold. However, users still need to be verified and have at least 500 followers to qualify for payouts.
X CEO Claims the Company is Close to Breaking Even
In her first broadcast interview since taking on the role, X CEO Linda Yaccarino stated, “I’ve been at the company eight weeks. The operational run rate right now… we’re pretty close to break even.” She highlighted the company’s data licensing and API business as an incredible asset and mentioned the growth of their new subscription business. Yaccarino also emphasized her expertise and experience in driving advertising at the company.
Video Calls Coming to X
CEO Linda Yaccarino confirmed in her first TV interview that video calls will be a new feature coming to X as part of its transformation into an “everything app.”
X Expands Partnership with Integral Ad Science
X has expanded its partnership with Integral Ad Science, which began in January to inform advertisers if their ads are placed around inappropriate content. The platform is now testing sensitivity settings, powered by machine learning, that allow advertisers to choose their thresholds for the types of content they want their ads to appear around. According to X owner Elon Musk, advertisers can purchase these less desirable, “relaxed” sensitivity ad slots at a lower cost.
Brands can reduce adjacency to gore, excessive profanity and obscenity, targeted hate speech, sexual content, drugs, and spam. X will soon introduce a “relaxed” setting, offering cheaper advertising opportunities while only filtering for targeted hate speech and explicit sexual content.
X Takes Over @music Handle, Hinting at Future Music Plans
X has taken control of the @music account, which was previously operated for 16 years by software developer Jeremy Vaught. Vaught, who had grown the @music handle to approximately half a million followers, expressed his anger at X’s actions.
Super pissed,
Vaught wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of the email X had sent him informing him of the change.
Streamlining Community Notes
X has streamlined its crowdsourced fact-checking system, Community Notes. The feature previously provided users with information about why they were seeing a fact check appended to a tweet. After three years of development, the company has decided to remove this extra context for users who are already familiar with Community Notes.
TweetDeck Renamed to XPro
As part of the rebranding efforts, X has renamed TweetDeck to XPro and adopted the @Pro handle for the tool. However, many parts of the tool, including the help page, still contain mentions of “Twitter” and “TweetDeck.” Elon Musk hinted at the change a week prior, suggesting that XPro will come with a “wide range of psy op plugins,” although no further details were provided about the nature of these plug-ins.
Paid Users Can Now Hide Their Checkmarks
X now allows paid users to hide their checkmarks, a feature introduced with the paid verification system last year during the Twitter Blue relaunch. The service was recently renamed XBlue as part of the Twitter to X rebranding.
The option to hide the checkmark aims to help users benefit from subscription features without publicly displaying their verified status. This setting can be found in the “Profile customization” section of account settings.
According to the updated help page for paid subscriptions, even if users choose to hide their checkmark, it might still be visible in certain places, although the company did not provide further details on those specific locations.
Reverting to the Old Twitter App Icon on iOS
For iOS users who wish to change back to the old Twitter app icon, the process involves using the Shortcuts app. If the Shortcuts app is not pre-installed on the iPhone, it can be downloaded from the App Store. iPhones running on iOS 12.0 or higher are compatible with this method.
X Marks the Spot: Twitter’s Rebranding Journey
Apple Greenlights X App’s Single-Character Name
In an unexpected move, Apple has made an exception to its naming guidelines by allowing the Twitter app to rebrand as “X” in the App Store. This decision comes as a surprise, as Apple typically doesn’t permit developers to use single-character names for their apps.
X’s New Tagline: “Blaze Your Glory!!”
Alongside the rebranding, X has also updated its App Store tagline from the previous “Let’s talk.” to an energetic “Blaze Your Glory!!” Elon Musk, the owner of X, shared this new tagline in a tweet without providing any additional context.
Global Expansion of X’s Ad Revenue Sharing Program
X has announced the global availability of its “Ads Revenue Sharing” program for eligible creators. According to posts by Elon Musk, the program aims to distribute $5 million to creators in its first round of payments. The company made the announcement through a tweet on its official account.
Twitter Officially Rebrands as X
The iconic bird logo that has been synonymous with Twitter has been officially replaced by the letter ‘X’. This change was announced by Elon Musk during the weekend of July 22. Interestingly, the domain x.com now redirects to twitter.com. Musk has referred to this new logo as an “interim” design.
How to Create an X App Shortcut on Your iPhone Home Screen
If you want to create a shortcut to the X app on your iPhone’s home screen, follow these steps:
- Ensure that you have the latest version of iOS installed on your iPhone, and you’re good to go.
- From the main Shortcuts screen on the Shortcuts app, tap “All Shortcuts.”
- Hit the blue plus sign in the top-right corner of your screen to set up a new Shortcut.
- You should see a suggested action of “Open App” to build your new shortcut. Tap that.
- Now, you’ll be prompted to set up a new “Open App” shortcut. Next to where it says “Open,” click on “App” to search for the X app. Select that.
- Once you’ve selected the “X” app, tap the share icon on the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen. This will bring up another menu, where you can select ”Add to Home Screen.”
- Go ahead and type in Twitter instead of “Open App.” Then, tap the small Shortcut icon next to where you typed in Twitter.
- Here, you can upload an image of the Twitter logo. However, you probably don’t have that already saved to your phone. Just Google “Twitter icon.” We used this one.
2 Comments
Elon Musk’s Twitter saga: some call it genius, others chaos incarnate!
Musk steering Twitter? It’s like watching a reality show where you can’t decide if it’s brilliant or a disaster waiting to happen.