In July 2023, we began to receive emails from readers asking if it was true that social media platform Twitter was rebranding to "X."
We also found posts repeating the claim on social media platforms like Facebook, Reddit, and TikTok.
The claim is true. Twitter owner Elon Musk did rebrand Twitter to X.
At the time of writing, Twitter had already begun replacing its famous bird logo with a stylized X. "And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds," Musk tweeted on July 23, 2023.
And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Reputable news organizations like the Associated Press (AP), The Verge, NBC News, and CNN all reported on the rebrand. AP reported that Musk had founded a startup in 1999 called X.com, which later became PayPal, and that he also calls his son with singer Grimes "X" for short.
At the time of writing, Twitter's bird logo was still displayed as its logo on the company's web page that discussed branding. "Our logo is our most recognizable asset," the page said. "That's why we're so protective of it."
However, Twitter's sign-up page looked like this:
(Twitter)
In an article about the replacement of Twitter's bird logo, The Verge wrote:
The bird theming runs deep, and it's not clear that X Corp. (as Twitter has legally been known for months now) will be able to replace it entirely.
We've previously written about changes to Twitter's platform, including a false claim that U.S. President Joe Biden's Twitter account had been designated as a business account.