// timeline
X (Twitter) History: Every Major Change (2006–2026)
From Twitter's 2006 launch and the hashtag to the algorithmic timeline, Elon Musk's acquisition, the X rebrand and open-sourced ranking.
Why this history matters
X has changed more in a few years than in its first decade. See how the X algorithm works.
8 updates, newest first
- Platform eventTwitter Rebrands to X (2023)
Twitter became X.
- MonetisationCreator Ad Revenue Sharing (2023)
Premium creators began earning from ads shown in replies.
- AlgorithmX Recommendation Algorithm Open-Sourced (2023)
Twitter published much of its ranking code on GitHub.
- Platform eventElon Musk Acquires Twitter (2022)
Acquisition closed; major policy and product changes followed.
- FeatureX 280 Characters (2017)
Character limit doubled from 140.
- AlgorithmX Algorithmic Timeline (2016)
'Best tweets first' option added, ending pure chronological order.
- FeatureX The Hashtag (2007)
Chris Messina proposed the hashtag; Twitter later adopted it.
- Platform eventTwitter Public Launch (2006)
Twitter launched to the public.