X is changing how it handles links to try and keep you in the app
X is changing how it handles links to try and keep you in the app
X is testing a new link experience on iOS to keep users within the app, making it easier for followers to engage with posts while browsing links.
The goal is to reduce the number of people who leave Twitter after clicking on an external link, in order to increase engagement and reach.
Elon Musk’s vision for X is to create an “everything app” where users never have to leave, and this new feature is part of that effort.
The company believes that posts with links tend to get lower reach due to the way the interface leads users away from the app, but a new recommendation system may change this.
X is testing a change to the way it handles links on iOS so that the buttons to like, reply, and repost will always be visible. Normally, when you click a link on X the page opens up and completely covers the original post. Apparently, this leads to fewer people clicking like or otherwise engaging with the content.
A good chunk of people probably just don’t return to Twitter at all after following an external link. So the company is collapsing the original post to the bottom, instead of letting the web browser take over the whole screen, and pushing further towards Elon Musk’s vision of X as an “everything app” that you never have to leave.
We're testing a new link experience, starting on iOS — to make it easier for your followers to engage with your post while browsing links.
For creators, a common complaint is that posts with links tend to get lower reach. This is because the web browser covers the post and… pic.twitter.com/oWraLpPwji
It’s a common complaint that posts with links on X don’t perform well. The post announcing this new feature seems to suggest that the reason is because of the way the interface leads you away from X, and thus lowers engagement.
Elon also said in a post on X that there would be changes to how the recommendation system works, which could result in increased reach for posts with links. He claims that the company is four to six weeks away from “deletion of all heuristics,” meaning likes and replies will have less of an impact. Instead, he says that, “Grok will literally read every post and watch every video (100M+ per day) to match users with content they’re most likely to find interesting.”
The shift to an AI-based understanding of the actual content of a post, instead of a more rules-based algorithm, has been a clear goal for X for some time. These changes could lead to increased reach even for accounts with very few followers.
A. X is changing how it handles links to try and keep you in the app, specifically collapsing the original post to the bottom instead of letting the web browser take over the whole screen.
Q. Why are posts with links not performing well on X?
A. Posts with links tend to get lower reach because the web browser covers the post, leading away from X and lowering engagement.
Q. What is Elon Musk’s vision for X?
A. Elon Musk’s vision for X is an “everything app” where you never have to leave, implying that users will be able to engage with content within the app without having to navigate to external websites.
Q. How does the new link experience on iOS work?
A. The new link experience on iOS makes it easier for followers to engage with posts while browsing links by keeping the original post at the bottom of the screen instead of covering it completely.
Q. What changes are being made to the recommendation system on X?
A. Changes are being made to the recommendation system, which could result in increased reach for posts with links, as Elon Musk claims that likes and replies will have less impact.
Q. How does the new recommendation system work?
A. The new recommendation system uses AI-based understanding of post content instead of rules-based algorithms, allowing it to match users with content they’re most likely to find interesting.
Q. Will this change affect accounts with few followers?
A. Yes, these changes could lead to increased reach even for accounts with very few followers, as the AI-based understanding of post content can help match them with relevant content.
Q. What is “Grok” in the context of X’s recommendation system?
A. Grok refers to the AI system that will read every post and watch every video (100M+ per day) to match users with content they’re most likely to find interesting.
Q. When can we expect these changes to be implemented?
A. The text does not provide a specific timeline for when these changes will be implemented, but mentions that the company is four to six weeks away from “deletion of all heuristics”.
Q. What is the goal of X’s recommendation system changes?
A. The goal of X’s recommendation system changes is to increase reach and engagement for posts with links, while also providing a better user experience within the app.
