In a bold move that marks a new era for Twitter, owner Elon Musk has announced plans to replace the company’s iconic blue bird logo with the letter “X”. The change, which is expected to go live on Sunday, is one of the most dramatic transformations the social media platform has undergone since Musk’s acquisition last year.
In addition to the logo change, the URL “X.com” will now redirect users to Twitter, further cementing the rebranding. These changes are part of Musk’s long-term vision to transform Twitter into a “super app” that offers a wide array of services, ranging from online banking to video messaging.
“X will be the platform that can deliver, well….everything,” Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino announced on Twitter. Musk has been hinting at this transformation since last year, when he was on the verge of officially owning the company. “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” Musk stated on Twitter.
The concept of an “everything app” is not new. It has been compared to platforms like WeChat in China, which is deeply integrated into the fabric of daily life, offering services from communication and news consumption to appointment booking and online payments.
However, social media experts have expressed skepticism about Musk’s ambitious plans. They question whether Musk can successfully innovate Twitter as the rebranding suggests, given the trust issues with the user base and past controversial decisions.
Musk’s affinity for the letter “X” is well-known, although he has never fully explained why. His early venture, an online bank, was named X.com before it merged with a competitor to become PayPal. The third electric car model from Tesla, another of Musk’s ventures, is named “X”, and his spaceflight company is called SpaceX. In 2020, Musk and his then-partner, the Canadian musician Grimes, named their youngest son “X Æ A-12”.
As the world watches, the transformation of Twitter into “X” could signal a significant shift in the landscape of social media and online services. Whether Musk’s vision will be realized remains to be seen.
