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XTests iOS Link UI That Keeps Posts Visible to Boost Engagement

Product chief Nikita Bier frames it as a signal fix for link posts to entice writers back.

Overview

  • When users open a link, the original post collapses to the bottom so Like, Reply, and Repost controls stay visible over the web page.
  • The rollout is an iOS-only experiment for now, and X has not announced timing for broader availability.
  • Bier says link posts underperform because the full-screen in-app browser hides the post, and he denies that links are deboosted.
  • Elon Musk says X aims to replace heuristics with Grok’s AI recommendations in four to six weeks, a shift that could change reach for link posts.
  • Observers say the UI tweak aligns with an everything-app strategy to keep users inside X but caution it may not undo years of throttling accusations and declining referrals that saw outlets like NPR and The Guardian scale back.