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X relaunches a rebuilt Android app after year-long effort
X has released a completely rebuilt Android application following an extensive year-long development effort to remedy persistent underperformance compared with its iOS counterpart. The reconstruction was prompted by severe technical issues that had degraded user experience—including instances where the app could not load posts when accessed via links—and represented one of the largest engineering projects in the company's history.
The redesigned application, built using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, delivers improvements in loading speed, scrolling smoothness, notification reliability, and overall system stability. The company acknowledges incomplete work on several fronts, including optimised support for older Android devices and integration of the Spaces live audio feature, whilst other capabilities such as a video editor and customisable timelines remain forthcoming. The refresh targets regions where Android devices dominate device usage, potentially drawing back users who abandoned the platform during periods of neglect.
In short
- X completed a ground-up rebuild of its Android app after nearly a year, addressing significant performance gaps relative to the iOS version
- The new application prioritises speed, scrolling responsiveness, and stability, though several features remain incomplete
- Rollout targets users in Android-dominant markets, though older device support and additional tools are still in development
Explained simply
X is a social media platform available on both iPhone and Android phones, where users share messages, photos and links. The Android version has consistently lagged behind the iPhone app in performance and features.
The Android app experienced persistent technical issues over recent years that degraded user experience, including slow loading times, sluggish scrolling and unreliable notifications. In some cases, the problems were severe enough that users could not load posts when clicking links, breaking core functionality of the platform.
Android devices are the predominant smartphone platform in many regions worldwide, meaning a malfunctioning app affected a large portion of potential users. Rebuilding the Android application is therefore relevant to X's ability to maintain and grow its user base in markets where Android phones are most common.