Why Did Elon Musk Change Twitter Logo? Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter as “X” began toward the end of July 2023. The social networking platform’s mobile apps for iPhone and Android now feature a new “X” logo, after an earlier makeover to its website and Twitter accounts.
Musk initially waved farewell to the Twitter brand on July 23 in a flurry of tweets. Shortly after, the company’s distinctive bird insignia, named after professional basketball star Larry Bird, was replaced by a new X logo on its website and offices.
So, what does this change mean for users of the social media platform? Continue reading to learn why Elon Musk changed the Twitter logo.
Why Did Elon Musk Change Twitter Logo?
Part of the reason behind Twitter’s sudden rebranding is Musk’s affection for the letter X, which has appeared frequently in his work.
It is also strongly related to his endeavor to transform the news-focused social network into a super app with features like payments and videos akin to TikTok.
Author Walt Isaacson claims that even before he took over the company, Musk had plans to rebrand Twitter as X.com. Isaacson spent two years shadowing Musk while writing his biography.
When Musk tweeted in October 2022 that owning the platform “is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” the idea for Twitter as X came to fruition.
Musk combined Twitter Inc. with X Corp, a recently created company, in March of this year. A month later, in April, he founded X.AI, a new artificial intelligence brand.
Why the Letter X?
Musk has always been fascinated by the letter X, and this infatuation began in 1999. At that time, he launched a financial start-up named X.com, which merged with a business started by Peter Thiel and Max Levchin to become the massive payments company PayPal.
Musk would eventually quit the company, partly due to his desire for X.com to maintain the company’s name.
He then founded Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, subsequently referred to as SpaceX. A Model X is also available from his electric car firm, Tesla, and his son with musician Grimes is named X.
What are Tweets Called Now?
It remains to be seen whether Musk and Co will be able to persuade users to accept the adjustments.
After all, platform features including tweets and retweets, hashtags, and direct messages have become part of the internet language. These behaviors will not alter overnight, and the rebranding may cause confusion at first.
The word “tweet” was eliminated, with Musk first remarking to one user that they would now be called “X’s”. However, as is typical of Musk, it is difficult to determine the reality.
Final Words
Changing the Twitter logo looks like a small change, but it reveals a lot about Elon Musk’s vision for the platform. It shows that he is committed to making significant changes and trying out fresh ideas.