X’s New Link Strategy Aims to Keep You in the App
▼ Summary
– X is testing a new iOS feature that keeps like, reply, and repost buttons visible when links are clicked to prevent losing user engagement.
– The change collapses the original post to the bottom instead of letting the web browser take over the entire screen, encouraging users to stay on the platform.
– This addresses the common complaint that posts with links perform poorly due to the interface leading users away from X and reducing interaction.
– Elon Musk announced upcoming changes to the recommendation system that may increase reach for posts with links and reduce reliance on likes and replies.
– X is shifting to an AI-based system where Grok will analyze all posts and videos to match users with content, potentially boosting reach for smaller accounts.
X is currently experimenting with a significant interface adjustment for iOS users, designed to keep engagement actions visible even when tapping on external links. Typically, clicking a link in the app launches a full-screen browser, hiding the original post and its interactive buttons. This often results in reduced user interaction, as many people fail to return to the app after visiting an external site. To counter this, X is now collapsing the original post to a minimized bar at the bottom of the screen, ensuring that options to like, reply, and repost remain accessible. This move supports the broader ambition of transforming X into a comprehensive “everything app” where users can complete all their activities without ever needing to exit.
A frequent observation among users and creators is that posts containing links tend to underperform on the platform. The newly introduced feature appears to address this directly, by modifying the interface to prevent users from being fully diverted away. By keeping the engagement tools in view, X hopes to encourage more interactions and keep people within its ecosystem.
In a related development, Elon Musk shared that upcoming modifications to the recommendation algorithm could also boost the visibility of link-containing posts. He indicated that the platform is roughly four to six weeks from removing certain heuristics, meaning metrics such as likes and replies will carry less weight in determining what content gets promoted. Instead, Musk explained that Grok, X’s AI system, will analyze the actual substance of each post and video, processing over 100 million pieces of content daily, to connect users with material they are most likely to enjoy.
This transition toward an AI-driven content comprehension system, moving away from rule-based algorithms, has been a stated objective for X. Should these adjustments work as intended, they could potentially increase exposure for posts from accounts with smaller follower counts, offering a more level playing field based on content relevance rather than popularity alone.
(Source: The Verge)
