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X Launches TikTok-Style iOS Video Player, Ends Vertical Cropping After Backlash

X reverses forced-cropping policy following backlash to its new iOS immersive video player.

Overview

  • Users on iOS can now tap videos to enter full screen and swipe up to move to the next clip in a vertical feed.
  • Nikita Bier acknowledged complaints about forced, cropped playback and said X will stop cropping vertical posts going forward.
  • X continues to favor portrait orientation for a mobile-first experience, reflecting broader industry shifts toward vertical video.
  • The rollout is part of a push to win viewers and creators as the market shifts, with context from the recent sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American investor group.
  • X is adding AI creation tools such as Grok’s text-to-video, after limiting Grok’s image generation to paying subscribers due to earlier misuse.