X is engaged on a brand new watch historical past characteristic, which might make it simpler to seek out that one video you noticed that one time, however now you may’t keep in mind the small print of, nor who posted it.
As you may see in this screenshot, shared by X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier, X is experimenting with a brand new “Seen” tab choice, which might observe the entire movies that you simply’ve watched within the app.
It’s not clear at this stage whether or not this shall be a full log of each put up that you simply’ve considered, nor how far it can return. However like related historical past instruments in different apps, the thought is that it will make it straightforward to get again to posts which have lodged in your reminiscence, however not sufficient to recall the element.
You may additionally have observed a brand new presentation or consumer replies on this screenshot, with bubble icons highlighting folks you observe who’ve replied to a put up in-stream. That would add one other engagement-driving aspect, by prompting customers to take a look at what they’re mates are saying a few put up.
These additions to X’s UI are nonetheless in testing, with Bier exploring extra methods to maintain folks scrolling and posting within the app.
Although, as has grow to be the norm with X, it usually doesn’t make huge bulletins about such when they’re really launched. X’s crew strikes rapidly from testing to transport of latest options and modifications, and lets customers uncover them over time.
And a few of these have been efficient, whereas others…
Only in the near past, X up to date its rating for the “Following” feed, which now ensures that you simply’ll see essentially the most related posts for you, primarily based in your previous actions within the app.
So that you’re now not seeing your Following feed in chronological order, whereas X additionally now defaults customers into its algorithmically-defined “For You” tab.
So you may’t set the Following feed as your default, and also you gained’t see any show in reverse chronological order, except you manually swap over to such every time that you simply log in.
These two updates are vital, as a result of they permit X to get extra engagement from customers by retaining them scrolling within the For You feed, which it may well populate with a broader vary of content material, versus the user-defined Following stream.
Although the top outcome right here is tough to measure from the surface.
I can say with some confidence that X’s AI-defined For You feed has improved over time, making certain extra related posts are being displayed to every consumer every time that they log in. However on the similar, the Following feed is now worse, as a result of it’s tougher to maintain up with the newest posts from profiles that you simply’ve chosen to observe.
In the long run, X would like you employ its Grok-powered For You feed both manner, but it surely’s inconceivable to foretell what the long-term impacts of those modifications shall be, particularly with out entry to any inside metrics.
X’s updates to its different capabilities are smaller, however align with that very same push, to get folks spending extra time within the app, and coming again extra usually.
Will that work?
I don’t actually see X rising in any vital manner, except there are some main change within the app, whereas Threads additionally continues to embed itself as a viable various for a lot of communities.
Improved AI suggestions could improve scroll time, but it surely additionally nonetheless appears like X offers disproportionate publicity to posts from its proprietor, and his personal pet peeves and tasks, which may influence ongoing engagement.
