X is testing a change in the way handle links on iOS so that the like, reply and repost buttons are always visible. Normally, when you click on a link in X, the page opens and completely covers the original post. This apparently leads to fewer people liking or interacting with the content.
A good portion of people probably just don’t return to Twitter after following an external link. So the company is collapsing the original post at the end, rather than letting the web browser take over the entire screen, and moving toward Elon Musk’s vision of X as an “everything app” that you never have to leave.
It is a common complaint that posts with links in does not perform well. The post announcing this new feature seems to suggest that the reason is due to the way the interface distances you from X and therefore reduces engagement.
Elon also said in a publish in X that there would be changes to how the recommendation system works, which could result in greater reach for linked posts. He claims the company is four to six weeks away from “removing all heuristics,” meaning likes and replies will have less of an impact. Instead, it says that “Grok will literally read every post and watch every video (over 100 million per day) to connect users with content they are likely to find interesting.”
The shift towards an AI-based understanding of the actual content of a post, rather than a more rules-based algorithm, has been a clear goal for X for some time now. These changes could lead to greater reach even for accounts with very few followers.
