The Twitter bird logo is officially gone, as Elon Musk has effectively rebranded the platform as "X" and replaced the iconic bird silhouette with an outline of his beloved letter.
Musk addressed the forthcoming changes on the platform on Sunday, July 23, saying that the bird was set to fly away ASAP. “If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make go live [sic] worldwide tomorrow,” Musk wrote. “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino confirmed the changeover, sharing a photo of the app's HQ with a large "X" shining on the building. "Lights. Camera. X!" she wrote. Sigh.
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But what do all these changes mean, exactly? The beloved social media site has been and continues to be used by millions upon millions of monthly users from all around the world to share everything from stan culture memes to important live updates from natural disasters to utilizing the platform as an organizing space. The name change is one thing, but it sounds like more changes are afoot.
According to Musk, tweets will now be called "Xs" and the platform will eschew "followers" for "viewers." Yaccarino alluded to plans for Twitter to transform into a super-app with more emphasis on video, saying, “X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine."
Musk purchased Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion and has been causing chaos on the platform since his takeover; monthly user count has dropped, with many Twitter fans leaving the platform for similar apps like Bluesky and Meta's Threads, and ad revenue is down, though Musk has implemented payment requirements for verified blue checks. He's also been obsessed with the letter X for decades: He and Grimes even call their son X Æ A-Xii simply "X." Farewell, Twitter bird. Fly away somewhere more peaceful.
