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.
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.
X is experimenting with a modification to its iOS link handling so that the like, reply, and repost buttons are always visible. The page that opens when you click on a link on X usually covers the entire original post. People seem to click less frequently or interact with the content in other ways as a result of this.
After clicking on an external link, a significant portion of users most likely never return to Twitter. Therefore, the company is moving closer to Elon Musk’s goal of X being an “everything app” that you never have to leave by bringing the original post to the bottom rather than allowing the web browser to take over the entire screen.
Posts with links on X are frequently complained to perform poorly. The post introducing this new feature seems to imply that the interface’s tendency to divert users from X and thereby reduce engagement is the cause.
In a post on X, Elon also mentioned that the recommendation system would undergo modifications, potentially expanding the visibility of posts that include links. In four to six weeks, he says, the company will “deletion of all heuristics,” which means that likes and replies will not have as much of an effect. Rather, he claims 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.”. “.”.
For some time now, X has made it clear that it wants to move away from a more rules-based algorithm and toward an AI-based understanding of a post’s actual content. Even accounts with very few followers may see an increase in reach as a result of these changes.
