X relaunches a rebuilt Android app after year-long effort
Elon Musk-owned X has released a completely rebuilt Android app built from scratch, promising faster performance and new features, with updates still rolling out.
X (formerly Twitter) has finally shipped a rebuilt Android app after nearly a year of development. The updated version, available since Monday, is built from the ground up using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.
The project began last August when X head of product Nikita Bier announced the formation of an Android “dream team.” Last October saw one of the biggest weeks for Android downloads, reinforcing the need for a better app.
The new app promises improvements in scrolling, loading, and notifications. Bier described it as one of the largest engineering projects in the company’s history, noting that the complete rewrite will enable faster feature development.
X has recently launched standalone apps for X Money and X Chat. The Android overhaul could help attract users in global markets where Android dominates. Previously, the Android app suffered from severe issues, such as failing to load posts when clicking links.
However, Bier acknowledged that some rough edges remain. Performance on older Android devices needs improvement, and support for Spaces (live audio) is still missing. Features like the new video editor, react-with-video, cashtags, and custom timelines are coming soon.
Existing users can update the app via the Google Play Store.
