X Android app rebuilt from scratch and shipped | year-long effort, future features Android-first
TL;DR
X pushed a from-scratch Android rebuild on July 20, calling it one of the largest engineering projects in its history. Product head Nikita Bier said future features will ship on Android first — a first for X since Musk took over.
X Corp on July 20 shipped a from-scratch rebuild of its Android app — not a reskin. Product head Nikita Bier called it one of the largest engineering projects in X's history. The company promises real improvements to load time, scrolling smoothness and notifications, and calls it the runway for shipping new features fast.
X announced the Android rebuild in August 2025 because the Android build had been trailing iOS badly. That October, Bier said X hit one of its biggest Android download weeks ever — a direct trigger for making the rebuild a company priority. Development took over a year. Bier said the team is still polishing performance on older devices and rebuilding features like Spaces hosting. Cashtags and custom timelines are already live; video replies and a video editor are coming soon.
Bier also disclosed that multiple upcoming features will ship on Android first — the first time since Musk bought Twitter that X puts Android ahead of iOS on mobile strategy. For 15 years, "iOS first, Android later" has been the default rhythm for every major social app.
Two things are still being polished, per Bier: performance on older Android hardware, and the Spaces hosting experience.
via TechCrunch
X announced the Android rebuild in August 2025 because the Android build had been trailing iOS badly. That October, Bier said X hit one of its biggest Android download weeks ever — a direct trigger for making the rebuild a company priority. Development took over a year. Bier said the team is still polishing performance on older devices and rebuilding features like Spaces hosting. Cashtags and custom timelines are already live; video replies and a video editor are coming soon.
Bier also disclosed that multiple upcoming features will ship on Android first — the first time since Musk bought Twitter that X puts Android ahead of iOS on mobile strategy. For 15 years, "iOS first, Android later" has been the default rhythm for every major social app.
Two things are still being polished, per Bier: performance on older Android hardware, and the Spaces hosting experience.
via TechCrunch
