The social media platform formerly known as Twitter has lost a lot of its appeal.
Its rebranding to the much less distinctive X is just one unpopular decision in a long line of decisions, dating back to Elon Musk’s court-ordered takeover of the company in October 2022. Users left Twitter – or tweeted about ‘ abandonment of Twitter – from the moment the Musk acquisition was announced and the microblogging site’s revenue dropped significantly as advertisers followed suit not long after.
‘My Twitter’ trends as users mourn the loss of the iconic blue bird
The main question for many has been: where do we go from here? Many are now looking for an alternative platform that offers the same things they once loved about Twitter, whether it’s a sense of community, access to the latest breaking news, or memes.
Here are some X aka Twitter alternatives to explore in your search for your next digital hangout.
1. Blue sky
Of all the alternatives that have emerged, Bluesky is the one that looks the most like Twitter. A spinoff of the company from before Musk took over, Bluesky even has Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey on his board. Sounds like a good option if you miss the good old days of posting harmless tweets among friends, but keep in mind that Bluesky’s terms and conditions state that it owns everything you post.
Other than that, the main problem you’re likely to have is actually creating a Bluesky account. The social media network is currently invite-only during its beta period, a decision that has prevented it from being inundated with brands and spambots, but has also prevented its user base from growing as quickly as possible.
Bluesky is facing community backlash after it allowed users to register accounts with racial slurs
2. Discussions
It was only a matter of time before Meta came out with a Twitter dupe.
Launched in July, Threads arrived without a ton of features people have come to expect, like emojis, hashtags, trending topics, or even a follow up feed. Threads is also technically an Instagram feature rather than a completely independent platform, which means you can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram as well. Luckily, Meta said she’s working on fixing this issue and various missing Threads features, and has begun rolling out a follow-up feed within the month.
Threads has an edge in that it gained a significant user base almost immediately, with over 10 million new accounts registered within the first seven hours of its launch. However, it has since seen a significant drop in users, with some users complaining that the platform lacks features and is dominated by brands.
How to change your discussion feed to accounts you actually follow
3. SPILL
Like Bluesky, SPILL also looks back on some former Twitter employees. Unlike Bluesky, SPILL’s explicit goal is to build a safe and diverse community for “cultural engines.” The social media network defines them as the originators of the memes and vernacular that permeate the internet. Typically from the black community, they often go uncredited.
Aside from its standard age restrictions, SPILL places no restrictions on who can sign up for an account. Even so, the Black-owned company is establishing itself as a potential new home for Black Twitter. Also, SPILL is still in beta testing, so if you want to get in you’ll need to get an invite code or join the waitlist.
Twitter alternative SPILL takes off online
4. Mastodon
Although Mastodon launched in 2016, it made a comeback in 2022. Millions of new users flocked to Mastodon in the wake of Musk’s takeover of Twitter, and for a moment it looked like it would become the next microblogging app . However, Mastodon’s multiple server system can be confusing and daunting for new users and is just one of several features that have hindered the platform’s growth.
Mastodon’s user base has since declined significantly since that initial Twitter-led surge in interest. But with X’s appeal rapidly diminishing with each new unpopular change announced, some people might be tempted to give it another go.
How to switch to Mastodon from Twitter now that it’s X
5. Beehive
Hive was another competitor that benefited from Musk’s purchase of Twitter. A relatively small platform created by a small team of three women led by three people, Hive announced that its user base had grown to one million accounts just one month after the acquisition. This has been greatly fueled by fandoms, with One Direction fans, K-pop fans, Star Wars fans and players joining Hive in groups.
Like the old MySpace pages, Hive allows users to customize their profile by adding songs or changing their color. It also distinguishes itself by placing more emphasis on images and doesn’t place users with length limits – a blessing for users who want to post every Bang Chan image they’ve saved to their camera roll.
6. Tumblrs
This 2000s icon is technically more of a full-length blogging platform than a duplicate of X. That has never stopped anyone from using Tumblr for nonsensical jokes and memes.
Tumblr is clearly aware that X’s unpopular changes have prompted more than a few prodigal users to revive their dormant accounts. The platform made fun of X by selling useless blue check badges, badges that thousands of users bought just as a joke. Lapsed users are also being lured back to Tumblr by its decision to allow users to post nudity again, bringing the website closer to the old policies it maintained during its golden era.
9 Ways Tumblr Changed the Internet
7. Text posts on TikTok
TikTok’s new text feature isn’t enough to reclassify it as a microblogging platform or make the video-sharing app a suitable X replacement. However, it might be fine for sporadic posters.
Announced in July, TikTok now allows users to type a text post and then have it appear through customization options such as sounds, stickers and backgrounds. These text posts appear in users’ standard TikTok feeds alongside video and photo posts, so it’s not analogous to Meta threads. Rather, it’s simply a new format you can choose for your TikTok content that doesn’t require you to get on the camera.
LGBTQ youth of color feel safer on their TikTok FYP, report finds
8. Logout
Social media networks are unfortunately an integral part of many people’s livelihoods. However, if you are one of the blessed few for whom this is not the case, I humbly suggest that you consider logging out.
Logging out has significant mental health benefits, cutting you off from the incessant stream of bad news and overthinking from the public. It can also make you feel more present and connected to your offline life and help you rediscover the pastimes you used to love.
It can be hard to slow down when your brain is used to receiving an endless stream of information at all times. But if you can handle it, you may end up being a lot happier.
