As part of its ongoing rebranding efforts, Twitter has officially changed its handle to @x and deactivated the original @Twitter handle. The social media company’s other official handles have either dropped the "Twitter" moniker or substituted it with the letter X.
The Origins of the X Handle
TechCrunch previously reported that Twitter hadn’t reached out to Gene X Hwang, the original owner of the @X handle, who operates a corporate photography and videography studio called Orange Photography. However, earlier today, Hwang tweeted "Alls well that ends well" from his new handle @x12345678998765. It remains unclear if he sold the handle to Twitter.
Twitter’s Rebranding Progress
The company has been making significant changes to its branding, with handles like @TwitterSupport, @TwitterDev, and @TwitterAPI now being referred to as @Support, @Xdevelopers, and @API. However, regional handles like Twitter Japan and Twitter India have yet to be renamed.
Twitter Blue Rebranding
The company’s subscription service, Twitter Blue, is now referred to as @XBlue on the site. Nevertheless, the About page of the paid plan still displays the Twitter Blue branding.
Updates and Changes
According to an update on the Twitter Video page (first spotted by The Verge), verified users can now allow other Blue users to download the videos they post on the social network for offline viewing.
On Tuesday, the company briefly updated the new ‘X’ logo with bolder lines. However, Elon Musk stated that he is reverting the change as he didn’t "like the thicker bars" and the logo will "evolve over time."
Challenges and Controversies
Twitter’s rebranding hasn’t gone smoothly, with several parts of the site still carrying the Twitter branding and moniker – including the mobile apps. Over the last few days, multiple reports have noted that Microsoft owns an X trademark since 2003 related to Xbox, while Meta owns a federal trademark since 2019 covering a blue-and-white letter ‘X.’ Trademark attorney Josh Gerben told Reuters there’s a "100% chance" that the Musk-owned social network will be sued by somebody over the X rebranding.
Trademark Issues
The company had started removing the Twitter logo from its San Francisco headquarters, but the work was only partially complete as the crane blocking traffic left because police deemed it to be "unauthorized work." A New York Times report published Monday noted that workers around the office had started removing bird-related items and renaming conference rooms as ‘eXposure,’ ‘eXult’ and ‘s3Xy.’
Advertising Incentives
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that X is offering new incentives to advertisers in the U.S. and the U.K. The report stated that the company is providing discounted pricing for video ads under the ‘Explore’ tab.
Conclusion
Twitter’s rebranding efforts have been a rollercoaster ride, with several challenges and controversies emerging along the way. As the social media company continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how its branding efforts unfold in the coming weeks and months.