Social throwback 2025: X's ad policy, Grok integration and more

As 2025 comes to a close, X (formerly Twitter) has recently published its latest marketing calendar for 2026, an interactive display of key dates and events that guides what's happening each month.

Looking back at the year that was, 2025 saw X introduce a range of new features and updates across its platform. From launching a dedicated video tab in January to implementing AI-powered feed ranking in December, the social media platform made several changes aimed at enhancing user experience and platform functionality.

Some months brought multiple updates while others remained quiet. This article provides a comprehensive month-by-month breakdown of all significant features and updates X introduced throughout 2025, documenting how the platform evolved over the course of the year.

January

• X launched a dedicated video tab for users in the United States, marking its push into video content consumption.

you better not be making a dedicated video tab when I get home

me: pic.twitter.com/ZbmLBmSbDp

— X (@X) January 20, 2025

• Launched its Parody account labels, which aim to reduce confusion around what’s being shared, and by whom on the platform.
• Announced X Money to be activated later this year, enabling users to make payments in the app and transfer funds into their bank accounts.

February

• Community posts were made visible to non-community members, and they could reply and thus engage with the posts even after the community is deleted.
• It updated its Violent Content policy to add a new clause, ‘Moment of Death,’ which allows people to request the removal of videos showing a loved one’s death through a dedicated form.
• Rolled out two ad tools: Prefill with Grok, which creates promotions from a URL, and an AI feature to analyse campaigns and improve performance.

March

• Added the ability for users to respond to posts with video reactions. Users can now reply to video, image, or text posts using video responses.
• Expanded its community functionality, allowing users to view and sort their community feed by multiple criteria, including trends, new posts, and popular posts.

• Grok was updated to edit a specific element of an image in the platform, in basic terms, and to customise just the chosen segment.

April

• It tested a revised video playback interface that shifts engagement counts from the bottom of the screen and places action buttons in a black bar along the bottom.

May

• Planned to integrate Persona’s verification processes for safety, security, fraud prevention and payments.
• X began experimenting with replacing the heart icon with a thumbs-up icon for engagement on the platform.
• The Community Notes system received an update to prevent manipulation. The system now treats all upvotes and downvotes as if they came from the same user.
• Updated its website card display for in-stream ads, with a text bar, and a custom CTA button along the bottom of the ad.
• Announced that 4k video uploads are now supported in the app.
• Encrypted DMs were being removed temporarily as back-end upgrades continued, including work on video, voice and other messaging features. It also rebuilt it with enhanced privacy in mind, and encryption being a foundational element of the new experience.

June

• Musk rolled out a new version of XChat to some X Premium subscribers and will reach all paying users.
• X’s Community Notes team announced a new experiment that will highlight content that sees agreement from users of differing political perspectives.

• Told Enterprise API customers it will move from access fees to a revenue-sharing model, taking a cut of earnings from projects using its data.
• Added additional sports engagement elements, including updated share cards for sports games, and new score tracker notes on relevant posts.
• Banned hashtags from ads to improve the look and responsiveness of its promoted posts.
• Moved to charging for ads based on vertical size, with full-screen ads costing more than those occupying a quarter of the screen.

July

• Introduced AI Note Writers, a new tool designed to help users create Community Notes more easily.

• Announced a text-to-video feature called ‘Imagine.’ While not yet fully available, Premium X users can sign up for early access to this video generation project.
• Launched a pilot test involving a randomly selected group of Community Notes contributors to evaluate posts that receive likes from users with differing viewpoints.
• It was reported that screenshots of X posts on iOS will soon come with new X.com watermarks, as a means to expand the X brand.

• It issued stricter ad guidelines on consistency, creative quality and landing pages, which also limits emojis to one per ad, with an exception for Japan and Korea.
• Added age assurance checks after coming under pressure from Irish regulators over new requirements under Ireland’s Online Safety Code.

August

• Announced several updates to its advertising system, aimed at improving user experience and boosting campaign performance for advertisers.
• Announced that it will soon start placing ads within responses generated by its in-house AI chatbot, Grok.
• To comply with new UK rules, the platform is testing an in-stream selfie check using Grok to restrict sensitive content to approved adults.
• Expanded the availability of its AI-powered auto-translation option for posts, with a broad range of languages now supported by Grok translation.
• Added another way to view expanded interaction with X posts, with a new ‘View quotes’ quick link within the lower function bar options on updates.

September

• Began testing a new ‘Boost’ option that allows users to pay for additional reach on their posts.

• Overhauled its recommendation system with a fully AI-powered algorithm, aiming to give users more control over what appears in their feeds.

October

• Added a new option that will enable you to sort your post likes.
• Announced the launch of a new ‘Handles Marketplace’ where users can browse and request inactive X handles for their accounts.
•  Renamed its Verified Organisations program to ‘X Premium Business’, reflecting the broader range of tools now available for companies using the platform.

We're now X Premium Business! (Formerly Verified Organizations)

Unlock powerful tools to boost your brand, increase revenue, and grow your team. Gain credibility and understand your audience with real-time insights.

Learn more & apply at: https://t.co/1F82LokNfQpic.twitter.com/LQOxZwe3Eg

— Premium Business (@PremiumBusiness) October 7, 2025

• Got a new design for the interaction display on videos within its dedicated video tab.
• Tested a new in-app browser for clicked links to update how links are handled to boost topical discussion and publisher opportunities.
• Revised API access pricing to give developers a more flexible approach to X data, with charges based on actual usage, as opposed to a monthly flat fee.

November

• X announced plans to show which profiles are using a VPN. This feature is designed to reduce inauthentic engagement on the platform.
• Started rolling out an ‘About This Account’ feature showing profile background info, though early results were confused with unexpected locations on some accounts.

• X launched the ‘Bangers’ account to highlight top-performing posts on the platform. Users whose posts are featured receive a ‘Certified Banger’ badge on their profile for one month.
• Announced plans to add a curated following tab, which will better highlight the top posts from accounts that you follow in the app.
• It announced a wider rollout of its updated DM interface, featuring enhanced encryption and security compared with competitors.

Say hello to Chat – all-new secure messaging on X.

• end-to-end encrypted chats and file sharing
• edit, delete, or make messages disappear
• block screenshots and get notified of attempts
• no ads. no tracking. total privacy. pic.twitter.com/7dmDEDkYvO

— Chat (@chat) November 14, 2025

• Began using its Grok AI system to rank posts in users’ ‘Following’ feeds, moving away from the chronological timeline.

December 2025

• Launched a new set of widgets on iOS, which will enable you to add custom X feeds and notifications that update in real-time, directly on your home screen.
• Tested a new chat interface that allows users to access X's direct messages on desktop without using the main platform.
• Added a new ‘Creator Studio’ hub to its mobile app, aimed at giving creators a single place to access tools and account information previously available mainly on desktop.
• Tested a new watch history tab feature, which would make it easier to find earlier videos users have watched.