Elon Musk is pursuing another round of changes at the social platform formerly known as Twitter. The entrepreneur is moving to alter how news links appear on the service by making only the image visible, effectively stripping away headlines from the post previews.
Internal materials reviewed by Fortune suggest that this new layout was developed under Musk’s direct oversight as a way to reduce text and emphasize visuals. The aim, according to the documentation, is to give X a stronger visual footprint, with fewer words competing for attention.
“This comes straight from me,” Musk said, confirming the plan. “It will noticeably improve the aesthetics.” Yet multiple insiders described friction with publishers who would need to adopt the new format, noting that it could complicate how readers interpret shared links and contextual information.
Under the proposed change, links shared from the old Twitter experience would appear with a stark, image-first design and minimal accompanying text.
avalanches of change
Since acquiring the platform last November, Musk has kept pushing a broad slate of modifications. The most visible move was a broad rebranding, including the name shift to X and a redesigned logo, alongside shifts in corporate strategy. Critics point to a perceived narrowing of access to some pages, and concerns have grown that the platform could be selectively blocking certain accounts and allowing inflammatory messages to spread without sufficient friction.
These actions, coupled with the broader pivot from a traditional microblogging site to a multi-faceted media hub, unsettled several major advertisers and raised questions about the platform’s future direction. The uncertainty has spurred rival tech companies to push into the space: Facebook’s parent company, now emphasizing threaded social experiences, has kept a keen eye on the rapid evolution of short-form social content; Instagram’s owner has introduced new betas aimed at enhancing real-time engagement. Meanwhile, TikTok has signaled plans to expand text-based sharing features to compete more directly in the same arena.
Observers note that the moves reflect a broader shakeout in the social-network landscape, where speed, brevity, and strong visual cues are increasingly valued. They warn that while a cleaner, image-forward feed might boost visual appeal, it could also suppress the textual context many users rely on to understand what a link is about. Advertisers, publishers, and creators are watching closely to see whether the strategy translates into meaningful engagement, or if it undermines trust by removing critical headlines from preview snippets.
In this evolving moment, the industry is evaluating what the shift means for content discovery, brand safety, and user experience. Tech giants are racing to adapt, testing new formats and features that balance speed with clear communication. The outcome will depend on how well the market responds to changes that toggle between bold, image-driven interaction and informative, text-rich previews.