Elon Musk’s X to remove likes and reposts from timeline within ‘weeks’

As a researcher with a background in social media and user experience design, I find the potential removal of likes and reposts from the timeline on X an intriguing development. Ellis Driscoll’s comments provide some insight into this change but leave many questions unanswered.


A software engineer at social media platform X has hinted that likes and reposts may disappear from users’ timelines “within the next few weeks.” This means that when scrolling through your feed, you might not see the number of likes or reposts on a post. Instead, the focus would be solely on the content itself.

As a crypto investor, I can tell you that I’m not directly involved in implementing this change myself, but the team is currently testing it internally. We anticipate making this update available to users within the next few weeks, and some aspects of the user experience may evolve during this timeframe.

In reaction to a demonstration video of the unveiled UX, Drsicoll made some remarks. The video showcased an “exploding menu” feature where likes and reposts were tucked away in a distinct menu on the home screen, which was previously presented by X’s head of payments, Christopher Stanley.

Elon Musk’s X to remove likes and reposts from timeline within ‘weeks’

Driscoll pointed out that the video Stanley posted didn’t accurately represent the full user experience (UX) for X users, as it solely demonstrated the “more” menu. The primary features of the revamped UX, according to Driscoll, would be streamlined gestures.

“Liking should be equally fast. Replying should be faster,” he added.

As a crypto investor, I’d describe it this way: When using the platform, I notice that some X users can only see the total number of likes and reposts for each post in their feed. To access more detailed information such as individual user names or specific comments, they must manually click on each post to expand the view.

I mentioned that the revised user interface will allow users to interact with posts through a “press-and-swipe” gesture. This method is reminiscent of video game interfaces, making the experience somewhat engaging and enjoyable.

In 2021, Instagram concealed the number of public “likes” or hearts on its application as a response to address mental health issues. This change aimed to minimize like-driven competition among young users by reducing the focus on this metric.

X hasn’t provided a substantial justification for its decision to eliminate likes, aside from Stanley’s hints suggesting an enhanced user experience and the ability to accommodate more content on the screen.

Multiple sources on X propose that the introduction of the new model might encourage users to concentrate more on the content of their posts rather than solely seeking engagement. It could potentially reduce the number of posts centered around engagement instead of substance.

Critics argue that the introduction of this new feature may allow the social media site to promote content favored by its internal team, making posts popular among users without them understanding the reason behind their surge in popularity, which is reminiscent of how Instagram and TikTok operate.

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2024-04-30 09:17