X users spot mysterious hand urging them to promote posts
What's the story
X has introduced a new and rather unsettling way to promote its "Promote" feature. Users composing posts are met with a jarring animated arm that stretches across the screen, drawing attention toward the "Promote" button. The controversial move comes after Elon Musk warned that advertisers with misleading or overly aggressive ads would be banned from advertising on X.
Mixed responses
User reactions to the animated arm
The animated arm has sparked a wave of reactions from X users, with many sharing screenshots of the creepy promotional tool.
However, it isn't visible to all users on the platform. The feature seems to be limited to verified users or those subscribed to X Premium.
Unsurprisingly, user reactions have been largely negative, with some even calling it a Halloween prank.
Feature details
What is X's 'Promote' feature?
The "Promote" feature on X expands the reach of a post to a wider audience based on location, interests, or demographics. This includes people who don't follow the user's account.
Promoted posts look like regular ones but are labeled as "Promoted" or "Ad."
Despite its potential benefits for users looking to increase visibility, the new graphic element has drawn criticism and confusion from some users.
Leadership shift
Change in product leadership at X
The introduction of this new feature comes as X is undergoing a change in its product leadership.
Earlier this week, the company announced that Peter Sellis, who has previously worked in product roles at Snap and Discord, will be taking over as the platform's new product chief.
He succeeds Nikita Bier, who left X in August after serving as its head of product and being associated with several growth initiatives on the platform.
Twitter Post
Arm comes out of nowhere and points at the button
I just went to write a tweet and a massive hand popped up pointing to the promote button 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/cLPP5pNaNP
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) October 26, 2026