A free social application

X, previously recognized as Twitter, functions as a complimentary communication and social networking platform that allows you to share polls, links, videos, pictures, and GIFs to a profile through entries formally designated as ‘tweets’. Your content will be visible on your profile, your primary newsfeed, and the feeds of users who follow you. Furthermore, you can follow other individuals and be followed by them in return.

Fleets have been eliminated from X. These were temporary updates visible for only 24 hours, designed to keep people updated on daily happenings. Snapchat pioneered this stories format, which was subsequently adopted by Instagram, Facebook, and this specific platform.

Easy to navigate and use

X maintains a user-friendly design thanks to the icon bar positioned at the base of the home screen. Tapping the home icon takes you to your newsfeed, displaying updates from accounts you follow. For more specific inquiries, the magnifying glass icon serves as a search tool for finding topics, keywords, and user accounts. Additionally, the bell icon alerts you to recent notifications, while your direct messages are accessed via the envelope icon located in the navigation menu.

To publish a new entry, simply select the plus icon at the bottom right. Standard users are allotted 280 characters per post; as you type, a circular indicator gradually fills to track your limit. The indicator shifts to orange when you are within 20 characters of the maximum, turning red once you hit zero. Any text added beyond this limit will display a negative character count in the red zone.

You have the option to attach media like videos and images directly from your device. You can also incorporate GIFs from the platform’s built-in library. Another feature allows for the creation of polls, which must include at least two choices. You can pose a question and offer up to four distinct answer options. As the community votes, the poll automatically calculates the percentage for each selection. You are able to set the exact duration in days, hours, and minutes for the poll to remain active.

The platform permits you to customize the duration of your polls, including specific days, hours, and minutes. One drawback to the four-option restriction is the difficulty of conducting quick surveys requiring more choices, forcing you to create multiple posts to accommodate all desired options. Additionally, keep in mind that results from X polls may not always reflect genuine public opinion, as individuals can easily create multiple accounts to skew the voting.

Control your interactions and posts

X grants you authority over your audience and interactions by letting you toggle your profile between public and private settings. Setting your account to private prevents those who do not follow you from seeing your content and restricts mutual followers from quote-reposting your updates. The platform also allows you to manage replies by choosing who is permitted to comment: everyone, accounts you follow, verified accounts, or exclusively accounts you mention.

The desktop version of the platform includes a feature for scheduling posts, which is highly useful for timing announcements precisely. Unfortunately, this functionality is absent on mobile devices, necessitating a switch to a laptop or computer. A viable workaround involves utilizing third-party social media management tools like Planable to schedule and publish your content.

Is X free?

Although X is free to access, the timeline features advertisements disguised as promoted posts. These ads may originate from accounts you do not follow, and you can identify them by the Promoted label attached to the content. Such advertising is no longer restricted to large companies or brands, as any user can launch a promotion provided they adhere to the platform’s guidelines.

Standard users will encounter frequent ads on X, which sometimes appear within conversation threads. Many users find this disruptive because these promotions clutter their timelines, and those inserted into threads often cause confusion due to their lack of relevance to the discussion. Nevertheless, subscribing to the premium tier allows users to reduce ad exposure by up to 50%.

Censored profiles and posts

X has gained notoriety for the censorship of profiles and posts, frequently becoming a hub for hostile discourse. By removing accounts during periods of intense debate, the company has arguably deepened societal divisions rather than easing them. While the brand’s marketing emphasizes trust, a closer examination reveals biased intentions and actions. If you are seeking a forum that genuinely promotes free speech, consider exploring Parler as an alternative.

X search is for registered users only

Previously, X permitted both registered members and unregistered visitors to utilize the search functionality. This access has since been revoked. If you visit the X website without logging in, unregistered users are limited to browsing the curated content featured on the Explore tab. The X search tool is now strictly available only after you have signed in to your account.

Rebrand to ‘X’

Following the acquisition by Elon Musk, the platform was rebranded from “Twitter” to “X,” and the iconic, cheerful blue bird was swapped for a stark, minimalist X icon. Various branding and terminology updates were also introduced, including changing “tweets” to “posts” and “retweets” to “reposts.” Interestingly, these updates have not fully transitioned to the desktop domain URL, as the site still displays as “twitter.com” instead of “x.com.”

Further transformations are anticipated, as Musk envisions evolving the social network into an “everything” app similar to WeChat.

Is it worth it to get X?

X allows users to share a diverse range of content through tweets. Its intuitive interface and multi-platform availability ensure an accessible social networking experience. However, it is essential to remember that X search is currently limited to registered users, while those without an account can only browse the curated content found on the Explore tab.

Pros

Easy-to-navigate interface

Attach media files and polls to posts

Control your privacy and interactions

Cons

Lots of ads for basic users

Requires a third-party app for scheduled posts