X, the social media platform, is reportedly planning to remove likes and reposts from its timeline visibility soon, as indicated by one of its software engineers.

"I am not directly involved in this update, but it is currently in internal testing. We expect to start implementing it for all users gradually in the coming weeks, and the user experience could evolve during this period," stated Ellis Driscoll, a software engineer at X, in a post dated April 29.

The proposed changes were highlighted in response to a demonstration video that showcased the new user experience. This video, initially shared by X's head of payments, Christopher Stanley, featured an "exploding menu" design, where likes and reposts are accessed via a separate menu on the home screen.



Driscoll clarified that the video Stanley shared depicted just the "more" menu, which is not representative of the overall user experience (UX) for X users. He mentioned that the main features of the new UX would involve "simple gestures."

"Liking a post should remain quick, while replying should become quicker," he elaborated.

While X users will still have the ability to see the number of likes and reposts for each post, they will need to click on individual posts to view these metrics.

Stanley further explained that the new user interface would allow users to interact with posts through a "long press and then swipe to choice," likening it to a "video game interface."

In related news, X has announced updates regarding its payment features, positioning the app to function similarly to a bank account.

This shift follows Instagram's 2021 initiative to hide public like counts—referred to as "hearts"—as part of efforts to address mental health concerns and reduce competitive pressures among its predominantly younger user base.

However, X has not provided substantial reasons for removing likes, other than various comments from Stanley hinting that the updates aim to enhance the user experience and maximize content display on screens.

Some users on X have suggested that the new approach could refocus attention on the content of posts themselves and reduce the emphasis on engagement-driven content.

Critics, however, have expressed concerns that this feature could allow the social media platform to promote content favored by their internal teams, obscuring the reasons behind a post's popularity—similar to trends observed on Instagram and TikTok.