X Adjusts Its Algorithm to Surface More Posts From Mutual Follows

X has changed its recommendation algorithm to increase how often posts from users' "mutuals," the accounts they follow that also follow them back, appear in feeds and replies, head of product Nikita Bier said Monday.

According to Bier, the signal identifying those mutual connections had been absent from the ranking system, which caused friends to show up less frequently in reply threads. He described the result as a reply section that "feels more like a battleground" populated by unfamiliar accounts. Bier also said the adjustment should make it easier for "clusters" of users to form around shared interests, something he noted people have requested.

The practical effect is likely to be modest. Rather than overhauling the experience, the change is aimed at making the platform read less like a stream of unconnected voices and more like a set of recognizable communities. Bier characterized it as a "tweak" rather than a redesign.

Part of a broader push toward creators

The update lands alongside a run of product changes at X, several of which point toward courting creators. Earlier this year the company revised how it pays accounts, shifting incentives toward original posts instead of reposted or aggregated content. This month it also added a built-in video editor intended to keep production work on the platform.

Taken together, the moves suggest X is trying to raise both the volume and the retention of native content, while making the feed feel more social. Whether tweaking a single ranking signal meaningfully changes user behavior is not something the company has quantified publicly.

Threads is chasing the same idea

X is not alone in reorienting its algorithm around community. Meta's Threads has been rolling out features with a similar goal, positioning them as a contrast to X. Last month Threads launched "Your Algo," which lets users privately shape what appears in their feed, and the app reported reaching 500 million monthly active users.

That competitive backdrop matters for the Asia-Pacific market, where both platforms compete for creators and advertisers against entrenched local networks. A feed that rewards mutual connections could help either service build the kind of tight interest clusters that keep users returning, though neither X nor Threads has released engagement data tied specifically to these changes.

For now, X's adjustment is a small signal of intent: less open shouting match, more familiar faces. The company has not said when, or whether, it will publish metrics showing whether the change delivers.