X is testing a new feature on its iOS application that changes how users interact with external links, aiming to keep the platform’s engagement buttons visible at all times.
The new design alters the current behavior where clicking a link opens a full-screen browser, covering the original post. Instead, the experimental interface collapses the original post to the bottom of the screen when a link is opened. This development is part of a broader strategy to transform X into an “everything app” that keeps users within its platform, as articulated by Elon Musk. The test is initially being rolled out to iOS users.
The company has acknowledged a frequent complaint from creators that posts containing links tend to receive lower reach due to the current user interface directing attention away from the original post. In an official post announcing the change, X noted the goal is “to make it easier for your followers to engage with your post while browsing links.”
Significant changes are also coming to the platform’s recommendation system, which could further boost the reach of posts with links, according to Elon Musk. Musk said the company is four to six weeks away from the “deletion of all heuristics,” indicating that traditional engagement metrics like likes and replies will have less impact on content distribution.
The updated system will use an AI named “Grok.” Musk explained, “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.” This change represents a shift from a rules-based algorithm to an AI-driven model that directly analyzes content. The company anticipates that these updates will lead to increased reach for posts, including those from accounts with very few followers.
