Hands on with X’s new AI-powered custom feeds
X's new AI feature replaces Communities, using Grok to read and label every post for personalized feeds.
X has rolled out a major new feature called Custom Timelines, powered entirely by its in-house AI, Grok. The tool allows Premium subscribers on iOS to pin curated feeds for over 75 specific topics—like Artificial Intelligence, Sports, or Politics—directly to their home tab. Unlike traditional keyword or hashtag-based filters, Grok reads and understands the content of every post on the platform, applying topic labels to build these feeds. The company's head of product, Nikita Bier, announced the feature as one of the "biggest changes" to the app, positioning it as a replacement for the now-defunct X Communities feature, which saw declining use.
The launch tightens the integration between X and Elon Musk's xAI, which acquired the platform last year. Currently available only to iOS Premium subscribers, with Android support planned, the feature also introduces a new ad slot—the second position in each custom feed—potentially creating fresh inventory for X's struggling ad business. Users can select and pin up to 10 topics from a broad range including niche interests like K-pop, robotics, and Formula 1, as well as more sensitive news categories like war and elections. This move represents a significant bet on AI-driven, personalized content discovery as the future of social media curation.
- Grok AI reads and labels every post to build feeds, moving beyond simple keywords or hashtags.
- Replaces the shut-down X Communities with over 75 pin-able topic feeds for Premium subscribers.
- Introduces a new ad slot in the second position of each feed, creating potential new revenue.
Why It Matters
Signals a major shift toward AI-curated social feeds and could redefine how users discover niche content on the platform.