After nearly a year of dedicated effort, X has launched a fully rebuilt Android app created from scratch. The new app aims to close the gap with its iOS counterpart by delivering faster, smoother, and more reliable user experiences.
- Complete rewrite for improved speed and stability
- Built on Kotlin and Jetpack Compose from the ground up
- Upcoming features include Spaces and video enhancements
What happened
X announced the launch of its newly rebuilt Android app after spending close to a year on development. The company created the app entirely from scratch, replacing the previous version which had struggled to keep pace with the iOS app in terms of performance and reliability. The announcement included promises of faster loading, smoother scrolling, and improved notification handling.
The redevelopment effort was led by a dedicated Android product team formed last year. According to the head of product, this project ranks as one of the largest engineering initiatives in X's history. The technology foundation for the app uses Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, modern tools intended to boost the speed at which new features can be delivered.
Why it matters
Android remains the dominant smartphone platform in many global markets, so improving the app experience could attract more users who previously faced significant issues. Earlier iterations of the app were notorious for failures such as inability to load posts when clicking links, which damaged user trust and engagement.
With this new release, X aims to reduce these barriers and provide parity with the iOS app, potentially increasing its user base and interaction rates. Better performance and stability are crucial for maintaining user retention in a competitive social media environment. The rewrite also sets the stage for faster innovation and the introduction of new platform features.
What to watch next
Despite the major progress with this launch, X’s head of product cautioned that some aspects still require refinement. Performance on older Android devices needs improvement, and support for live audio rooms, known as Spaces, has yet to be fully integrated.
Future updates will also bring new features to Android users, including video editing tools, the ability to react with video, financial cashtags, and custom timelines. Monitoring the adoption rates of this new app version and user feedback will be key indicators of the relaunch’s success.