X Twitter Updates 2026: New Feed Sort, Ad Formats, and Creator Revenue Changes

X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) shipped a significant batch of updates in August 2026, touching everything from how users sort their feeds to how creators earn money and how brands advertise. The changes reflect X's ongoing effort to become a more video-first, creator-friendly platform while expanding its advertising toolkit.

Below is a structured look at every major update, organized by feature area, with practical takeaways for users, creators, and advertisers.

Sort by Dropdown and Profile Feed Customization

The key change is that X has started testing a "sort by" dropdown menu for post feeds on iOS profiles, as detailed in X's August 2026 updates. This feature, currently in testing on the mobile app, lets users choose how to order the posts they see on a profile—likely options such as newest first, most liked, or most recent. It gives profile visitors more control over content discovery, especially on accounts with heavy posting volumes.

In the same testing batch, X is experimenting with a new grey bar for its in-app web browser. The grey bar likely replaces the current browser chrome to reduce visual clutter. Additionally, an improved bookmarking experience is rolling out, allowing users to organize saved posts into folders more seamlessly. The bookmark folders feature aims to turn bookmarks into a genuine curation tool rather than a dumping ground.

New Ad Formats: Lead Generation Ads and Mention Boost

X is rolling out two distinct ad products: Lead Generation Ads and Mention Boost. Both are designed to give advertisers more ways to capture user attention and drive business outcomes.

Lead Generation Ads allow advertisers to collect user information—typically email addresses or phone numbers—directly within an X post, without requiring the user to leave the platform. This mirrors similar products on Meta and LinkedIn and is a clear attempt to capture a larger share of the direct-response ad market. According to SocialBee's roundup, this format is now being tested.

Mention Boost is a different kind of ad product. It lets brands amplify organic customer call-outs or reviews that mention the brand. For example, if a customer tweets a positive review and tags the brand, the brand can pay to promote that post to a wider audience. This is essentially a social-proof-as-a-service tool—brands no longer have to rely solely on organic reach for their best user-generated content.

Both ad formats are significant because they move X closer to the playbook of mature ad platforms. Lead Gen Ads address a clear advertiser need (top-of-funnel lead capture), while Mention Boost turns organic buzz into a paid asset.

Video Editing Tools: Custom Thumbnails and Collage

X introduced new video editing features on iOS, including the ability to upload custom thumbnails and a "Collage" feature for photo uploads. Users can now select a specific frame or upload an image to represent their video before posting, a standard feature on YouTube and TikTok that X previously lacked. The Collage feature lets users combine multiple photos into a single post visually, much like Instagram’s layout tool. These creative tools are part of X's broader push to retain video creators who previously edited elsewhere before posting. Details are available in SocialBee's coverage.

Creator Revenue Sharing: Anti-Engagement Bait and Duplicate Content Detection

Probably the most impactful policy change in August 2026 is the update to X's Creator Revenue Sharing program. The platform is now penalizing engagement bait—posts that explicitly ask for follows, replies, or likes to manipulate the algorithm (e.g., "I'll follow everyone who replies"). X has also improved detection of duplicated content. If a creator reposts another user’s content without adding original value, the monetized impressions will now be credited to the original creator, not the reposter.

This update has direct consequences for creators. Those who relied on engagement-bait tactics will see their revenue drop. Legitimate creators who produce original work, however, will likely benefit from reduced competition from copycat accounts. The change reinforces X’s stated goal of rewarding original, value-adding content. The full policy shift is described in SocialBee's article.

Livestreaming Command Center in Creator Studio

X announced an updated livestreaming command center within its Creator Studio platform. This tool allows creators to schedule live broadcasts, manage settings, and run streams directly from the browser or app. The command center consolidates features that previously required third-party streaming software, lowering the barrier for creators who want to go live. This is a direct competitor to YouTube’s live control room and Twitch’s dashboard. The update is part of X's ongoing investment in real-time content, which remains a core differentiator for the platform.

Scheduled Posts and New Profile UI

X is working on a dedicated "Scheduled posts" feature, allowing users to queue up posts to publish at a later time directly within the app. Currently, scheduling on X relies on third-party tools or the API; a native scheduler would simplify content planning for power users and brands.

Additionally, a new profile UI is in development on iOS, featuring different call-to-action buttons—"Mention" or "Message"—depending on the type of account. This could personalize how users interact with profiles: a creator’s profile might show "Mention" to encourage tagging, while a brand’s profile could show "Message" to push DMs. These UI tweaks may seem small but can meaningfully influence engagement patterns.

User Experience Improvements: Media Handling, Video Dock, and Carousels

Several UX updates rolled out in August 2026:

• Smoother media handling for images, videos, and profile pictures across the app, reducing load times and stuttering.
• A new video dock button on iOS that allows users to minimize a playing video into a small floating player while continuing to browse the feed (picture-in-picture style).
• Multi-image carousels on desktop: When a post contains four or more images, X now displays them as a swipeable carousel rather than a grid, making the desktop experience align with mobile.
• Mutuals' replies highlighted in the "For you" feed: Posts from people you follow that have replies from mutual connections are now more prominently surfaced, potentially increasing conversation discovery.

These improvements, as reported by SocialBee, focus on making media consumption more fluid and less interruptive.

Summary Table of Key Updates

Category	Feature	Status (August 2026)	Target Audience
Feed & Profile	Sort by dropdown (iOS)	Testing	All users
Feed & Profile	Grey bar for in-app browser	Testing	All users
Feed & Profile	Improved bookmark folders	Rolling out	All users
Advertising	Lead Generation Ads	Testing	Advertisers
Advertising	Mention Boost	Available	Brands
Creator Tools	Video custom thumbnails (iOS)	Rolling out	Creators
Creator Tools	Collage for photos (iOS)	Rolling out	All users
Monetization	Anti-engagement bait policy	Enforced	Creators
Monetization	Duplicate content detection	Enforced	Creators
Livestreaming	Updated command center in Creator Studio	Available	Creators
Scheduling	Scheduled posts	In development	All users
UI	New profile CTA buttons (iOS)	In development	All users
Media UX	Smoother media handling	Rolled out	All users
Media UX	Video dock (iOS)	Testing	All users
Media UX	Four+ image carousel on desktop	Rolled out	All users
Feed	Mutuals' replies highlighted in For You	Testing	All users

What These Updates Signal for X’s Direction

The August 2026 batch reveals several strategic priorities:

1. Monetization maturity: X is tightening creator revenue policies to reward original content, a necessary step if it wants to retain high-quality creators. The new ad formats (Lead Gen, Mention Boost) show X is serious about becoming a full-funnel ad platform.

2. Video-first UX: Custom thumbnails, video dock, and livestreaming tools all point to video as the primary content format. X is steadily removing friction for video creators.

3. In-app completeness: Native scheduling, bookmark folders, and the grey browser bar suggest X wants users to stay within the app rather than hopping to external tools.

4. Personalization: The sort by dropdown, new profile CTAs, and mutuals' highlights all give users more control over how they see and interact with content.

For advertisers and creators, the message is clear: X is investing in the infrastructure needed to compete with larger platforms. The updates are incremental but cumulatively significant.