X tests changes in the way handles links on iOS so that the “Like”, “Reply” and “Repost” buttons are always visible. Typically, when you click a link on X, the page opens and completely covers the original message. This appears to result in fewer people clicking likes or otherwise interacting with the content.
Most people probably just don't return to Twitter after clicking on an external link. So the company is minimizing the original post rather than letting the web browser take up the entire screen, and moving forward with Elon Musk's vision of X as “whole application“that you never have to leave.
This is a common complaint about posts that link to X. I'm not performing very well. The post announcing this new feature seems to suggest that the reason is that the interface takes you away from X and thus reduces engagement.
Elon also said in publish on X that there will be changes to the recommendation system, which may lead to an increase in the reach of posts with links. He claims the company is four to six weeks away from “removing all heuristics,” meaning likes and replies will have less impact. Instead, he says that “Grock will literally read every message and watch every video (over 100 million a day) to find users content they are most likely to find interesting.”
The move to understanding the actual content of a message based on artificial intelligence instead of a rules-based algorithm has been a clear goal of X for some time. These changes could lead to increased reach even for accounts with very few followers.
