Social networking platform X has just introduced a new History tab, allowing users to revisit bookmarks, posts, videos and favorite content in the same place.
This move shows that X wants to turn the application into a "save for later viewing" tool instead of just a regular social media platform.
The new feature is currently being deployed first on iOS. According to Nikita Bier - Head of Product at X, the History tab helps users easily follow important content and record unread posts or videos.
In the new update, the Bookmark button on the left menu of the application has been renamed History. Here, all content is divided into four categories including Bookmark, Like, Video and Article.
This arrangement helps users find content faster instead of having to access many different locations as before.
The Bookmarks and Likes sections operate in a familiar way, that is, saving content that users actively mark.
Meanwhile, the Video and Article sections will automatically update based on the content that users have viewed or read on the platform. This allows X to remember usage behavior and create a list of content that is more personalized.
According to X, all data in the History section is still kept private and only account holders can view it.
The addition of the History tab also makes X more like a content browser than a traditional social network.
Users can return to the content they have viewed even before pressing the save button. At the same time, the new feature also unifies many tools that are scattered in the application, such as the Like item located on the personal profile or Bookmarks located in the main menu.
Analysts believe that this change is also aimed at promoting the long post format on X. Recently, the platform has been encouraging businesses and creators to post posts exceeding the normal 280 character limit.
With the History tab, users can save and continue reading long articles at any time, creating a feeling like a personalized news reading application.
The update appeared in the context that many online publishers are witnessing a decrease in traffic from Facebook and Google due to algorithm changes and the emergence of AI tools to synthesize content.
X is said to want to take advantage of this trend to attract publishers and creators to write directly on the platform, instead of leading users to external websites.
