Everything old is new again. After phasing out Vine, the short-form video platform that preceded TikTok, in 2017 , Twitter is using its new X overhaul to relaunch its video plans. That includes a smart TV app, X CEO Linda Yaccarino said.
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In a post posted on her personal X account yesterday, Yaccarino previewed the app's UI and listed some of its earliest features. The result looks like a cross between TikTok and YouTube.
From YouTube's perspective, it looks like the app will be built around various tabs that users scroll horizontally, with their account information in the left sidebar. The video length is also consistent with YouTube. Although X is currently associated with short videos, some examples in Yaccarino's posts are multiple hours long.
But in order to compete with TikTok (which faces its own problems), X is also putting more emphasis on algorithms and artificial intelligence. The Trending tab sits at the top of the app's UI, and while YouTube's TV app does something similar when the user isn't logged in, X also promises to supplement its algorithm with "AI-powered themes" and "enhanced video search." . "
It is unclear how these promises will actually be fulfilled in reality. Previously, Yaccarino had promised that X would become a " video-first platform " and that platform owner Elon Musk would continue to strike deals with content providers such as WWE .
Notable in Musk's deal is the platform's focus on controversial figures, including Tulsi Gabbard and Tucker Carlson, the latter of whom appeared in Yacarino's preview of the app's user interface .
X is fighting an uphill battle to establish itself as a video platform, especially since its more traditional text-based business is currently being swamped by malware and spam . To help with the transition, X will not include ads in its app at launch, according to a note to corporate partners seen by The Hollywood Reporter . A release date has yet to be determined.
