• 2 min read
X tweaks its feed to show more mutuals
X says a small algorithm change will boost posts to mutual followers, after users complained feeds and replies were dominated by strangers.
Image: 9to5Mac
X says it is rolling out a small algorithm tweak aimed at a familiar complaint: feeds and reply sections filled with people users do not know, instead of the accounts they actually follow.
According to product head Nikita Bier, the company found that its ranking system was not properly accounting for mutual followers — people who follow each other back. That, he said, made friends show up less often in replies and contributed to conversations feeling overrun by random accounts.
“We’re rolling out a small tweak to boost visibility of your posts to your mutuals (people who you follow back). We noticed this data was missing from the algo and it made your friends appear less in your replies. This resulted in the reply section feeling more like a battleground with people you don’t recognize. This should also help clusters form around interests more easily, which many people have asked for.”
The change targets one of the most persistent criticisms of the platform formerly known as Twitter: that X increasingly decides who users should read, rather than simply showing posts from the people they chose to follow.
Recommended reading
Rostelecom says fiber now reaches 80% of homes in megacities
Whether the tweak meaningfully improves the feed is still unclear. But if it works as described, users should start seeing more posts and replies from people in their own networks, rather than mainly from strangers.
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via 9to5Mac
