X is engaged on a brand new watch historical past function, which might make it simpler to seek out that one video you noticed that one time, however now you possibly can’t bear in mind the small print of, nor who posted it.
As you possibly can see on this screenshot, shared by X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier, X is experimenting with a brand new “Seen” tab possibility, which might monitor the entire movies that you simply’ve watched within the app.
It’s not clear at this stage whether or not this can be a full log of each submit that you simply’ve seen, nor how far it’ll return. However like comparable historical past instruments in different apps, the concept is that it will make it simple to get again to posts which have lodged in your reminiscence, however not sufficient to recall the element.
You may also have seen a brand new presentation or person replies on this screenshot, with bubble icons highlighting individuals you observe who’ve replied to a submit in-stream. That might add one other engagement-driving component, by prompting customers to take a look at what they’re associates are saying a couple of submit.
These additions to X’s UI are nonetheless in testing, with Bier exploring extra methods to maintain individuals scrolling and posting within the app.
Although, as has turn out to be the norm with X, it usually doesn’t make massive bulletins about such when they’re truly launched. X’s workforce strikes rapidly from testing to delivery 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 probably the most related posts for you, based mostly in your previous actions within the app.
So that you’re not seeing your Following feed in chronological order, whereas X additionally now defaults customers into its algorithmically-defined “For You” tab.
So you possibly can’t set the Following feed as your default, and also you received’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 holding them scrolling within the For You feed, which it will probably populate with a broader vary of content material, versus the user-defined Following stream.
Although the tip outcome right here is troublesome to measure from the surface.
I can say with some confidence that X’s AI-defined For You feed has improved over time, guaranteeing extra related posts are being displayed to every person 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 favor you employ its Grok-powered For You feed both method, but it surely’s unimaginable to foretell what the long-term impacts of those modifications can be, particularly with out entry to any inside metrics.
X’s updates to its different features are smaller, however align with that very same push, to get individuals spending extra time within the app, and coming again extra typically.
Will that work?
I don’t actually see X rising in any vital method, 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 enhance 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 might impression ongoing engagement.
