X Prioritizes Community
X Updates Algorithm to Boost Mutuals' Visibility, Fostering Community and Supporting Creators
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Key Points
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X’s definition of mutuals is explicit: mutuals are those you follow who also follow you back, and the tweak targets visibility among this group by addressing data the algorithm previously lacked that kept friends from appearing in replies.
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Nikita Bier highlighted that the change would facilitate the formation of clusters around shared interests, aiming to bolster community signals on the platform.
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The algorithm tweak is part of a broader creator-focused push, which includes a revamped compensation model that favors original content and the launch of a new video editor to simplify content creation.
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Observers frame the move as part of a broader industry trend toward community-building features, contrasted with Meta’s Threads, which has rolled out Your Algo and now claims 500 million monthly active users.
X has tweaked its algorithm to make posts more visible among mutuals — people you follow who follow you back — in a bid to make replies feel less like a "battleground," according to TechCrunch. The company's product head Nikita Bier said the change fixes missing data that had previously stopped friends from appearing in each other's replies.
The update is described as broad but not revolutionary. Dataconomy reports the goal is to build a more community-driven platform by forming clusters of users around shared interests.
Nikita Bier Explains the Mutual Visibility Fix
Bier framed the tweak as fixing a gap in the algorithm. The system previously lacked data that would let it surface posts from friends in your replies, according to Techmeme. By adding that data back, X now boosts visibility between mutuals — the specific group of users who follow each other.
Bier said the change would help "clusters" form around shared interests. The idea is that conversations between people who already know each other feel less hostile. That reciprocity, he argued, is what was missing from the platform's reply experience.
Creator Tools Arrive Alongside the Algorithm Shift
The algorithm update is part of a bigger push to support creators on X. TechCrunch reports the company also rolled out a revamped compensation model that favors original content over reposts or aggregated posts.
X also launched a new video editor to make content creation easier. Together, the tools signal that X wants to keep creators on the platform by giving them better reach and better pay for work they actually make themselves.
X Echoes Meta's Threads in Community-Building Push
The move puts X in line with a broader industry trend. Meta's Threads has leaned hard into community features, rolling out tools like "Your Algo" to give users more control over their feeds. Threads now claims 500 million monthly active users, according to TechCrunch.
That growth puts pressure on X to compete not just on reach, but on user experience. By making replies feel friendlier, X appears to be betting that community ties — not just viral content — will keep users coming back.
Small Tweak, Big Signal for Platform Direction
Observers note the change is not a full overhaul. Yahoo Tech describes it as a targeted fix rather than a new system. But the direction is clear: X wants its feed to feel more like a neighborhood and less like a debate stage.
For everyday users, the practical effect should be simple. You should start seeing more posts from people you actually know in your replies. Whether that change is enough to shift X's reputation as a combative platform remains to be seen.
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