Gone are the days we used to sign into Twitter and share tweets. It's now November 2023, more than a year since Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired the popular social media platform, and the cheery, avian blue-and-white icon got replaced with a dark insignia that simply says "X."
Many users, including Mashable's Chris Taylor, believe that Twitter — er, I mean "X" — has taken a turn for the worse. Others, on the other hand, find the rebrand to be refreshing. However, no matter where you stand, you can't deny that there are some features stripped from the platform that we'll all miss.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk, meet the Twitter resistance7 things you can no longer do on Twitter / X
In July, Musk called X an "everything app," but for an app that lets you do "everything," there's quite a lot we can no longer do.
1. You can't view X without logging in
Lurkers once had the luxury of sifting through Twitter without logging in or being a registered user.
Browsing through Twitter Credit: ShutterstockNow, if you want to browse the social media platform, you have no choice but to sign into a Twitter account.
2. 'Quote tweets' are no longer within easy reach
As Mashable's Deputy UK Editor Sam Haysom mentioned in mid-September, quote tweets used to be easy to access during Twitter's heyday.
Sifting through one's X feed. Credit: ShutterstockUnfortunately, due to an irksome redesign, you have to take a few extra steps to see quote tweets. You must now click on the three-dot icon and tap on "View post engagements" before clicking on "Quotes." Plus, X no longer tells you how many quote tweets a post has.
3. You can't tweet to a subgroup of followers
In late September, X announced that it's sunsetting Circles, a feature that allowed users to pick and choose a subgroup of followers to receive specific posts.
In other words, with Twitter Circles, instead of tweeting to all of your followers, you could interact with a smaller crowd. Unfortunately, you can't do that anymore.
4. Headlines are now stripped from your links
Now, when you input a link into your tweet (e.g., an article), the headline will not be displayed. The Verge has a pretty good "before and after" picture that illustrates this frustrating new feature.
Musk, demonstrating his aptitude for crushing it at spelling bees, tweeted that he made this change to "improve the esthetics [sic]."
5. You must wait longer to open links from competitors
An analysis from The Markup discovered that X is throttling traffic from competitors, including Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Substack.
Rival apps like Threads are throttled on X. Credit: ShutterstockThis report isn't surprising considering the fact that Musk briefly banned links from Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and other rivals in December 2022.
6. PlayStation and Xbox gamers lose integration with Twitter
Access to Twitter's API used to be free, but as we reported in March, Musk is putting a price on it now — its cheapest package is a whopping $42,000 per month.
PlayStation and Xbox gamers can no longer directly upload to X. Credit: ShutterstockAs a result, gaming platforms like Microsoft and Sony are terminating their integrations with X. In other words, gamers can no longer share their video game captures directly with Twitter / X.
7. The blue check is no longer earned
As CNN puts it, Musk transformed the blue check from a status symbol to a badge of shame.
The blue check isn't what it used to be. Credit: ShutterstockThe blue check once authenticated influential accounts and high-profile figures, but now, Musk has eroded its value. Anyone can purchase a blue check by subscribing to X Premium. However, it'll cost you $16 a month as of this writing.
Final thoughts
This list is far from exhaustive — and it will continue to climb. Elon Musk said he will kill the block feature on X. Plus, Musk suggested that he may put X behind a paywall, too.
We can't wrap our minds around Musk's endgame for X, but as Mashable's Matt Binder discovered, it's not looking good for the Tesla CEO so far. Daily active users appear to be dwindling as we speak.
