X updates algorithm to prioritize mutuals in replies

The social media platform X has updated its algorithm to prioritize posts from users' "mutuals"-accounts they follow who also follow them back-in an effort to make the platform's reply sections feel more like a community and less like a chaotic public forum. The change was announced on Monday, July 13, 2026, by Nikita Bier, the company's head of product.

In a post explaining the update, Bier stated that the platform had identified a gap in its algorithm where data about mutual connections was missing. This omission, he said, had the effect of making posts from friends appear less frequently in a user's replies. "This resulted in the reply section feeling more like a battleground with people you don't recognize," Bier wrote. The new tweak is intended to boost the visibility of content exchanged between these mutual followers.

While the adjustment is described as a subtle one that will not completely overhaul the user experience, it aims to make reply threads somewhat less dominated by unfamiliar accounts. Bier also noted that the change should help "clusters form around interests more easily, which many people have asked for," suggesting a goal of fostering more cohesive...