Since Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media platform in October 2022, Twitter has undergone some dramatic changes. The company’s initial changes included the verification purchase program, monetization, and the reinstatement of previously banned users. At the time of the takeover, Musk placed the social media platform under a new parent company, X Corp. Most recently, the company has changed its name from Twitter to X.
The news about the popular social media platform’s rebranding from Twitter to X stirred some reactions. As one would expect, most of the platform’s features associated with its name underwent massive changes too. The logo was one of the first items up for replacement. Subsequently, the platform changed features like Twitter Support, Analytics, API, Movies, Business, and others to their X versions. Well, this guide discusses these recent changes and everything that followed.
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How Did the Twitter Name Change Happen? How the Platform Went From Twitter to X
Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, recently admitted his utmost fascination with the letter X. While this factor played a role, a well-laid-out series of occurrences drew the platform to its current name. Although the process seemed abrupt, the Twitter name change was an impending occurrence trailing the takeover. Still, users of the social media service have questions regarding how the platform went from Twitter to X.
What Is the Reason Behind the Twitter Name Change?
Due to its seemingly abrupt nature, people often wonder about the reason behind the Twitter name change. Initially, users did not expect massive changes after the takeover of X, previously known as Twitter. Most users were okay with its status because the platform had already occupied its space as a microblogging platform. However, the new owner had different plans for the social media service. First, the new ownership placed the platform under a new parent company, X Corp.
Elon Musk had formed X Corp, the social media platform’s new parent company, under another company, X Holdings Corp. Well, this was not the first time Musk owned a business with the X designation. He co-founded an online bank, X.com, in 1999. Although the bank later merged with a competitor to form PayPal, Musk obtained the domain X.com 12 years later. While buying the domain, he cited its superb sentimental value.
Shortly after he’d renamed the social platform in July 2023, Musk explained his intentions for the platform. He cleared that he’d purchased the platform to promote freedom of speech. He also intended to use the social media service as an accelerant for X, the Everything app. Musk also emphasized that the name change from Twitter to X wasn’t the end. He said changes in how the company worked would also accompany the name change.
He explained that the initial name, Twitter, was suitable when the platform was just a microblogging site. In that case, users only had 140 characters to interact with others, like birds tweeting. However, recent additions now allow users to share hours of video content. Again, he promised to implement features that support comprehensive communications and financial services to Twitter, now X.
Changes Accompanying the Name Change From Twitter to X?
Immediately after the social media service’s name changed from Twitter to X, it began implementing several changes to that effect. First, the X.com domain name, which Musk had purchased earlier, began redirecting to the Twitter website. In addition, the platform launched a new logo which completely replaced the old bird silhouette logo.
The new logo, which comprises an “X,” replaced the old logo on the application and the website. It also replaced the old logo on the Google Play Store, the iOS App Store, and embedded links. The social platform’s name change also effectively appears alongside its new logo.
Again, some features that initially had the “Twitter” addition have changed since the name change from Twitter to X. While their links have remained the same, their profiles on X, formerly called Twitter, have implemented the name change. For instance, Twitter Movies, API, Pro, Support, Safety, Business, and others have implemented the changes.
How Did the Twitter Logo Change Occur? What Is the Logo for X?
The Twitter logo change quickly accompanied the name change from Twitter to X. The old logo carried a silhouette of a bird representing the initial name which stood for a bird sound. Therefore, the new logo, carrying an “X” letter, also represents the new name. The social media platform has added a new logo, an “X,” with one of the strokes hollowed out. Well, this sudden change also left people wondering.
How Did the Company Change the Logo to X?
After deciding to change Twitter to X, the company needed a logo along with the name. So, on July 22nd, 2023, the company’s owner, Elon Musk, announced that he’d be changing the platform’s logo. He said he’d implement the changes as early as the 23rd or 24th of June if he got one early enough. He later joined Space, where he confirmed his intention to change the platform’s logo.
Musk shared a short video animating the new Twitter logo the next day. About 12 hours later, Musk announced that the new logo would go live. The company’s owner added that it’s replacement was not the only change he’d add. He said the company would eventually bid farewell to the Twitter brand and all the birds.
In replying to another user’s post, Elon Musk mentioned that tweets will become x’s following the name change. The logo change was abrupt. Nonetheless, considering the drastic changes that have characterized the platform since the new ownership took over, it wasn’t entirely surprising.
What Reactions Trail the Logo Change From Twitter to X?
As one would expect, the logo change for Twitter to X has drawn diverse reactions. While the company’s owner and CEO have tried to explain the reasons for the change, others remain adamant. Well, most users are quite unbothered by the change, waiting for the buzz to play out.
On the other hand, many media outlets have been so vocal against the changes since the company implemented them. The New York Times was particularly critical of Musk’s decision to change the social platform’s logo. CNBC also shared a hot take, insisting that Musk risks more damage to the platform due to these changes.
In addition, there were several jokes about the subject. For instance, the TV Show Sesame Street tweeted that the letter “X” would be holding a press conference.
Despite this, the social media platform’s name and logo changes have not really impacted its function. Again, these name and logo replacements have been among the changes the new ownership has implemented. The platform’s new ownership aims at implementing more drastic changes to the social media service.
Why the Letter X? Why Did Musk Get Twitter Renamed to X?
The social service’s new name, X, was quite unexpected and surprising for unfamiliar people. This prompted many questions, with people asking, “Why the letter X?” However, the social media company’s current owner, Elon Musk, has always indicated his fascination with the 24th letter of the alphabet. There are reasons why his space company, SpaceX, has an “X” attachment. Besides that, his other company, Tesla, produces the Tesla Model X.
With Musk, changing Twitter to X was a matter of time. People who were familiar with him already predicted that this would happen. He’d occasionally rambled non-stop about how he’d lobbied for PayPal to retain the “X” name during the merger. He would later go on to purchase and retain the internet domain name X.com.
At the turn of the century, when Musk was coming up, “X” was quite a big deal. With brands like XBox and XGames in vogue, there was a certain “coolness” around the letter. Besides that, there is some compelling aura around the company’s new name.
Musk recently launched an Artificial Intelligence company, xAI. He has practically been obsessed with the letter, such that Musk named his son X. There is a plot twist: several other large corporations also have links to the “X” branding. For instance, Google’s X, with the domain name X.company, and a startup accelerator, StartX, remain prominent. Then, companies like Meta and Microsoft also possess licensed intellectual property around X.
Musk had cleared the air in the past, stating that his fascination with “X” existed due to the letter’s meaning. He said X embodied the imperfections in people that made them unique. He insisted that the letter symbolized possibility.
What Does the Twitter Rebrand Seek To Achieve? Musk’s Reasons for the Drastic Changes
The recent logo and name changes have been at the forefront of the recent reforms to the platform. These reforms have exceeded the name and logo, providing several feature updates to the platform’s usability. These changes have been part of efforts around the Twitter rebrand campaign. However, other users of X, formerly known as Twitter, are not sure about the aims of these reforms.
First, the social media company’s rebranding seeks to cover the new additions to the social media service. The old Twitter brand initially described a microblogging platform that particularly supported short messages. However, the new brand of Twitter, now X, has encompassed the newer features that have characterized the platform.
The platform’s rebranding has run along Musk’s dream of the “everything app,” aiming to integrate several diverse features. The “everything app” is like WeChat, a Chinese application with different features, most of which are on other platforms. While X now supports live videos, long-form text content, and hours of video, it is metamorphosing into an all-purpose application.
Another aspect of the social service’s rebrand is the increasing focus on its verified users. Since the company changed hands, the disparity between premium subscribers and non-subscribers has grown larger by the day. At first, the disparity between these groups of users was the verification checkmark accompanying paid subscribers. Several premium features became exclusive to verified users as time passed, while free users enjoyed the basic features.
For instance, the recently rolled-out monetization feature has only remained available to Twitter Premium subscribers. Also, paid subscribers have a higher character limit, rank better, and the company allows group direct messages without limits. Premium users can edit and format tweets, also viewing fewer ads.
What Is Happening to Twitter? The Current Events as Twitter Is Now X
Besides the news surrounding Twitter’s name change to X, the platform has enjoyed considerable updates and improvements. These updates, like the new character limit, continue to trickle in, as has happened since the company’s takeover. Users are now curious, with questions about the issue. So, what is happening to Twitter?
While the conversation rages about the recent change from Twitter to X, the company has begun implementing additional changes. For example, the platform has revamped its verification program, which it initially dubbed Twitter Blue. Following the name change, the Twitter Blue feature has become X Premium.
Besides the new Premium feature, the social media platform has changed its features to align better with its new name. Features like Twitter Business, Support, Analytics, Movies, Music, and others have transformed into their “X” versions.
Additionally, platform X recently launched an improved version of its live video feature. This came after several tests confirmed that the feature was functioning optimally. Musk went live to demonstrate the feature at the company’s headquarters while other workers looked on.
Although Twitter has seen several drastic changes since the takeover in October 2022, user data has remained intact. This means that all the tweets you’ve made on the platform since joining are still accessible to everyone. However, some old tweets may not age well if they resurface in nonideal circumstances. Because of this, it is sometimes necessary to delete tweets in bulk.
This is why TweetDelete, an easy-to-use web application, offers a simple, effective way of filtering and deleting bulk tweets. This web app imports user archives, completing highly-specific deletion tasks in a few clicks. It does not spread promotions on users’ timelines, making it ideal. Start filtering and cleaning your X, formerly Twitter, timeline today!
