X updates the algorithm to prioritise replies from mutual followers
X is updating its algorithm to give posts and replies from mutual followers greater visibility.
X is changing its recommendation algorithm to give greater visibility to posts and replies from people who follow each other. The update is intended to make conversations feel more familiar and encourage users with shared interests to connect more easily.
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The platform’s head of product, Nikita Bier, described the change as a “small tweak” designed to improve how content from mutual followers appears across the service. Mutual followers are users who follow one another on X.
We're rolling out a small tweak to boost visibility of your posts to your mutuals (people who you follow back).
— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) July 13, 2026
We noticed this data was missing from the algo and it made your friends appear less in your replies. This resulted in the reply section feeling more like a…
The update addresses a gap in the platform’s algorithm that previously gave limited consideration to these existing connections. As a result, replies from friends and familiar accounts could be overshadowed by responses from people outside a user’s network.
Algorithm change gives more visibility to familiar accounts
Under the updated system, X will increase the visibility of users’ posts among their mutual followers. Replies from people they follow and who follow them back should also appear more prominently within conversations.
Bier said the platform discovered that important information about mutual connections was missing from its recommendation system. This meant the algorithm was not consistently recognising close or established connections when deciding which replies to display.
“We noticed this data was missing from the algo, and it made your friends appear less in your replies,” Bier said while announcing the update. “This resulted in the reply section feeling more like a battleground with people you don’t recognise.”
The change could give users more opportunities to interact with people they already know or regularly follow. It may also reduce the prominence of unrelated replies, particularly in conversations that attract responses from many unfamiliar accounts.
X has not provided detailed information about how much additional weight mutual connections will receive or whether the update will affect all areas of the platform. However, the company expects the adjustment to improve the overall quality of discussions by making familiar voices easier to find.
The update may also help reduce some of the conflict associated with public reply sections. Conversations on large social platforms can quickly attract opposing views, spam or responses with little connection to the original post. Giving mutual followers greater visibility could encourage more relevant exchanges without preventing other users from joining public discussions.
X aims to encourage interest-based connections
Beyond improving interactions between friends and familiar accounts, X expects the algorithm change to help users discover communities built around common interests. Bier said the adjustment should make it easier for groups of users with similar interests to form naturally through posts and replies.
This approach relies on existing connections rather than a separate community feature. If users regularly follow and interact with accounts focused on the same subjects, the algorithm may be better able to highlight relevant discussions within those networks.
The company appears to be responding to requests for stronger connections between users who already share interests. By increasing the visibility of mutual followers, X could create smaller and more recognisable discussion groups within its wider public feed.
The change may also support more meaningful conversations by giving users a greater chance of seeing replies from accounts they trust or recognise. However, its broader effect will depend on how strongly the algorithm prioritises mutual connections and whether the adjustment alters the tone of broader discussions.
X continues to rely heavily on recommendation systems to decide which posts and replies receive attention. Even a relatively small change to those systems can affect how users discover content and interact with others across the platform.
The company has not said whether users will be able to adjust the level of priority given to mutual followers. It also remains unclear whether the update will influence the ranking of posts in the main feed, replies within individual conversations or both.
Communities’ closure changed X’s approach to group discussions
The algorithm update follows X’s decision to discontinue Communities, a feature designed to bring users together around shared interests. Communities offered dedicated spaces where members could follow discussions focused on particular subjects rather than relying entirely on the main feed.
X announced the closure in April after the feature failed to attract widespread use. According to Bier, Communities were “used by less than 0.4 per cent of users — yet contributed to 80 per cent of spam reports, financial scams, and malware on X.”
The feature also required significant attention from the company’s product and engineering teams. Bier said Communities occupied a large share of the team’s time during some weeks, “while the rest of the app suffered.”
Although Communities were intended to support interest-based discussions, the company found that many groups were being used for purposes outside that original goal. Some became channels for promoting external platforms or distributing paid content rather than building active communities within X.
The closure left the platform without a dedicated public feature for organised interest groups. X has instead focused on other ways of supporting connections, including group conversations, customised feeds and changes to its recommendation algorithm.
Prioritising mutual followers could offer a more flexible alternative, allowing communities to develop through existing relationships. Rather than requiring users to join a separate group, the platform can use its algorithm to identify connections and make relevant posts more visible.
The latest adjustment does not directly replace Communities, but it reflects X’s continuing effort to improve how users find familiar people and shared interests. Its success will depend on whether the change makes reply sections feel more relevant without limiting the range of views that users can discover.
