Elon Musk To Remove 'Likes' And 'Reposts' From X Timeline

Reposts and likes are hallmarks of the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. But Elon Musk says he plans to hide both features from timelines later this year.

Musk first mentioned the idea while speaking at a Morgan Stanley event, saying the information visually clutters content on the platform. He later confirmed on X he will "definitely" go through with the change.

He said users will still be able to see how many people reposted and liked a post, but they'll have to click on the metrics tab to see. Instead, only the view count of a post will remain visible on timelines.

"Just view count, as proxy for the other metrics, will show on the timeline," said Musk.

The change suggests speculation is just in that the new X algorithm, as opaque as the last, focuses less on reposts and likes and more on how many people read and watch the content via a specific post.

Users have complained for months that the number of reposts they receive is down considerably from previous years. 

"X is most likely trying to ‘train’ creators to focus on metrics that boost their posts, like time spent on post and video watch time, rather than likes and reposts" noted influencer Collin Rugg.

"As a social platform, X’s goal is keeping users on their site for as long as possible which is why the algorithm is favoring posts that keep people reading and watching. The decision will also discourage users from ‘farming’ for likes and reposts."

The display change also means those participating in the Insecure Olympics have to determine their worth via view counts, in contrast to likes and reposts.

You've been there, haven't you? You thought you had a banger tweet, yet it garnered only one repost and a few likes. It ruined your mood. It forced you to question your value. 

Didn't it?