X has rolled out a new immersive video player for iOS, a move announced by Nikita Bier, the company’s head of product. Bier stated that the previous video player “badly needed a refresh.” The update allows users to expand a video to full screen with a single tap. Once in full-screen mode, viewers can swipe up to scroll to the next video, a format similar to TikTok.
Some users criticized the update for forcing a cropped full-screen view, which removes the option to watch content in its original aspect ratio. In response to user feedback regarding which orientation is preferred, Bier confirmed that portrait orientation is the ideal format for the platform. He explained that “cropping the video incentivized people to post square videos” and noted that X is a mobile company. Bier stated that X will stop cropping vertical content going forward.
The design shift aligns with broader industry trends. TikTok and Instagram Reels utilize vertical video feeds, and streaming service Disney+ recently introduced a vertical video feed as well. The timing of X’s update follows the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American investor group last month. X is positioning itself as a competitor by increasing its video features. This update follows the launch of a dedicated vertical video feed globally last year.
X is also integrating AI tools, including Grok’s text-to-video generation feature. Grok’s image-generation feature recently faced controversy for enabling the creation of sexualized and nude imagery of women and children. As a result of this controversy, the image-generation feature has been restricted to paying subscribers on X. Bier indicated that more video-focused updates are planned as the company continues to focus on video ambitions.
