X now shows you posts from your 'mutuals' first
What's the story
X, the social media platform, has updated its algorithm to prioritize posts from users' "mutuals," those they follow and who follow them back. The change was announced by Nikita Bier, the head of product at X. Bier said that this adjustment was made because the data was previously missing from the algorithm, making friends less visible in replies and turning reply sections into battlegrounds with unfamiliar users.
Community building
X's efforts to enhance creator experience
The latest algorithm tweak won't completely change the user experience on X, but it will make the platform feel more like a community than just a cacophony of voices.
Bier said this change would also "help clusters form around interests more easily, which many people have asked for."
The update is part of a series of recent changes by X to make the platform more creator-friendly.
Platform evolution
Threads is also updating its algorithm to foster communities
Earlier this year, X changed its payment structure to reward original content over aggregation. It also launched a video editor earlier this month for user convenience.
The latest algorithm tweak comes as Meta's Threads has been updating its algorithm to foster communities, setting itself apart from X.
Last month, Threads introduced a feature called Your Algo that lets users privately control their feed content.