X Rolls Out Redesigned Android App Worldwide

X has released a rebuilt version of its Android app after spending nearly a year replacing the previous application from the ground up.

The company says the new app should deliver faster loading, smoother scrolling and more reliable notifications. X began rolling out the rebuilt version globally through the Google Play Store on July 20, 2026.

X head of product Nikita Bier described the rewrite as one of the largest engineering projects in the company’s history. However, he also acknowledged that the initial release still has rough edges, particularly on older Android devices.

X chose a complete rewrite instead of more patches

The project was reportedly underway from around August 2025. Rather than continuing to update the existing Android codebase, X replaced its underlying foundation.

A full rewrite is more disruptive than a regular redesign because the company must recreate essential functions such as timelines, media playback, notifications, account switching, posting and background activity. It also creates the risk of bugs or missing features during the transition.

X has not published detailed performance benchmarks, crash-rate improvements or app-start measurements. Its current claims are therefore based on the company’s description of the rebuild rather than independently verified testing.

Several iOS features are still missing

The rebuilt app does not immediately remove every difference between X’s Android and iOS versions.

X introduced its React with Video feature on iOS in June 2026, allowing users to respond to posts with recorded video commentary. Android and web support were promised later.

The company also launched new recording and editing tools on iOS in July while confirming that Android availability had been delayed because the app was still being rebuilt. The editor includes tools such as green-screen backgrounds and is intended to encourage more original video uploads.

Bier now says React with Video, the video editor and Spaces support should arrive on Android soon. Cashtags and Grok-powered Custom Timelines are already live in the rebuilt application.

Android may receive some features before iOS

The more notable change is not the visual redesign but X’s claim that future features may sometimes launch on Android first.

Android users have often received newer X functions after their iOS counterparts. The new codebase could give X a more stable foundation for releasing features across both platforms without maintaining older technical workarounds.

Bier said many future additions would reach Android first, although X has not provided a launch calendar or named the first Android-first feature.

That commitment will be tested by the rollout of the pending video and Spaces tools. If those features continue to arrive significantly later than their iOS versions, the rebuild may improve performance without fully solving X’s platform-parity problem.

The timing reflects X’s push toward video and personalised feeds

The Android relaunch arrives as X expands beyond its traditional text-based timeline.

Its Custom Timelines feature uses Grok to create and personalise feeds around user instructions instead of relying only on hashtags or keyword-based lists. Android support had previously been described as still in development.

X has also been adding video reactions, editing tools, livestreaming incentives and changes intended to reward original creator uploads. These products require more dependable media handling than a basic social feed, making the Android rebuild important to X’s broader product plans.

X was reported to have about 550 million users in March 2026, up from 520 million in December 2025. The company has not disclosed how many use Android, but Android remains essential to reaching users across markets where lower-cost smartphones dominate.

A necessary rebuild, but results still need testing

Replacing the Android app’s technical foundation may help X release features faster and reduce long-standing performance complaints. But a ground-up rewrite does not automatically guarantee a better experience.

The important measures will be crash frequency, battery use, startup time, scrolling stability and performance on mid-range and older devices. X has not yet released data for any of these areas.

The rebuilt app therefore represents the completion of a major engineering effort, but not the completion of the Android product itself. Several prominent features remain unfinished, and the quality of the relaunch will become clearer as the new version reaches more devices.