X, the platform previously known as Twitter, is set to undergo a significant redesign that has sparked mixed reactions among users. The upcoming change involves the removal of repost, like, and reply buttons from individual posts on users’ timelines. Additionally, the counts for these interactions will no longer be visible. Instead, X wants users to swipe left or right to like or reply to a post, with iOS users having the option to force touch a post for more options. The only visible metric on posts will be the view count, which has been relocated to the upper right-hand corner.
This redesign was initially discovered by researcher Aaron Perris of MacRumors, and it has since been confirmed by X owner Elon Musk. While Musk expressed enthusiasm for the change, stating that users could “just swipe left to like and right to reply,” the overall response from users has been negative.
It’s worth noting that Musk has been eager to remove repost and like buttons for some time. Since acquiring X in October 2022, Musk has implemented several major changes to the platform, including renaming it from Twitter to X. In the previous month, Musk made most “likes” private so that only the user who posted the content could see who liked it, preventing third parties from accessing this information.
In a subscriber-only post on X last October, Musk stated that he intended to remove all action buttons and interaction counts from the main timeline, leaving only the view count unless users tapped into a post. This aligns with his desire to streamline the platform and reduce clutter. However, it’s important to mention that Musk has made changes in response to user feedback before. For example, when X developers removed headlines from article links shared within posts due to aesthetic concerns, users criticized the decision. Consequently, X eventually reintroduced headlines in a slightly modified design.
Given this history, it is possible that if the removal of repost and like buttons proves unpopular, X might reconsider and bring them back. Musk himself acknowledged this possibility in a reply to a supporter, affirming that they would change it back if the change turned out to be disastrous.
Ultimately, the upcoming redesign of X’s post layout is a significant departure from the traditional button-based interaction model. It remains to be seen how users will adapt to the new swipe-based system, and whether X will make further adjustments based on user feedback.
