This comes after Elon Musk removed URL cards from users’ posts
Elon Musk announced that X (formerly Twitter) plans to remove the like and retweet buttons from users’ timelines. The billionaire entrepreneur shared the significant change to X in a tweet on the platform on October 6.
According to Elon, the decision to “remove all the action buttons” is aimed at enhancing the platform’s readability.
PREVIEW: X will remove the interaction counts (likes, reposts) from the main timeline, leaving only view counts. You will be able to see these numbers when you tap into a post.
— X News Daily (@xDaily) October 6, 2023
The intent of this is to improve readability. pic.twitter.com/RMbypx3bwh
As per Elon’s announcement, the only number visible on a tweet will be the view count. Yet, this count will only be displayed until a user clicks on the post to interact with it.
This move aligns with Elon’s ongoing efforts to reshape the social media giant since his acquisition.
READ ALSO: What Happened to Twitter After Elon Musk Took Over
The name change from Twitter to X was one of the notable alterations Elon introduced after taking over the platform. He’s taking it a step further by streamlining the user interface. Elon’s vision is to cut clutter and distractions, focusing on making X a more readable and user-friendly platform.
rn the plan is to remove both, but to do more with gestural interactions (double tap to like + looking at some swipe to reply stuff now too)
— Andrea Conway (@ehikian) October 6, 2023
Elaborating on this decision, X employee Andrea Conway provided insights into the design team’s efforts. They are working to replace the traditional buttons with “gestural interactions.” These include familiar actions such as double-tapping to like a post and swiping to reply.
READ: Elon Musk Rebrands Twitter To ‘X’
The goal is to maintain the functionality while enhancing the overall look and feel. With this new design, the buttons will be discreetly hidden from the main timeline. Andrea noted in another post that these are the “current” plans, leaving room for potential adjustments in the future.
Banner Image Dani Sison
