When you post, X will show you metrics such as the like count in your notifications, but you won’t be able to see who tapped the little heart. People can still revisit posts they’ve liked under the “likes” tab on their profiles. And you can still like other people’s content.
This latest adjustment is part of a series of changes Musk and his team have made to the app since he bought the platform in 2022. Most notably, he introduced a paid tier that gives subscribers access to more direct messages and the illustrious blue check mark. If you want a check, you usually have to pay. Last week, X changed its policies to officially allow adult content after years taking a laissez-faire approach to porn.
X’s mention of privacy may seem confusing — until you remember past scandals when powerful people have liked something they probably shouldn’t have. For instance, an account linked to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) liked a sexually explicit tweet in 2017. Cruz ended up blaming it on a staffer. It’s one of many public-relations gaffes that may help explain why public figures include the phrase “likes and retweets aren’t endorsements” in their X bios.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the change.
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The Twitter (now X) like has long held a weird little place in our hearts. Getting a like from your crush or a celebrity was big news. Ending an awkward threaded conversation with an easy “like” was even better. Twitter got rid of its “favorite” thumbs-up icon in 2015 in favor of the like, symbolized with a heart. It’s an easy way to tell when something is going viral — part of the game of posting online.
X has trailed other platforms in hiding or deprioritizing the like. Instagram started letting users opt into hiding like counts on their posts in 2021, a change aimed at decreasing social pressure on the app, the company said. On TikTok, users get to decide whether other people can see which videos they’ve liked.
YouTube took a different tack, hiding the “dislike” count on videos in 2021 to, it said, protect smaller creators from harassment campaigns.
Worried more changes to likes might damage your stature on X? You can always try posting spicier content or leaning far-right.
