Guides · 7 pages

Retired features and alternatives

Twitter tried a lot of things. Some were renamed, some quietly removed, and Communities closed in 2026. These pages explain what each feature was, when it ended and what replaced it.

  1. Article · 2 min

    What Happened to X Communities? The 2026 Shutdown Explained

    X shut down Communities in May 2026, citing low use and heavy spam. What Communities were, the timeline, why they closed, and where groups moved: XChat group chats.

    In short: X closed Communities in May 2026 after saying fewer than 0.4% of users used them while they generated about 80% of spam and scam reports; X directed admins to move members into group chats in XChat, which gained joinable links and larger member limits.

  2. Article · 2 min

    What Was Twitter Circle and Why Did It End?

    Twitter Circle let you post to up to 150 chosen people. How it worked, the 2023 privacy bug, why X shut it down on October 31, 2023, and what to use instead.

    In short: Twitter Circle was a feature that let you share posts with a private list of up to 150 people; launched in 2022, it ended on October 31, 2023, and the closest options now are protected accounts, Lists and group chats.

  3. Article · 2 min

    What Were Twitter Fleets (and Can You Still Mute Them)?

    Fleets were Twitter's 24-hour disappearing posts, launched in 2020 and shut down on August 3, 2021. How they worked, why they ended, and what replaced them.

    In short: Fleets were disappearing posts that vanished after 24 hours, shown in a row at the top of the timeline; Twitter shut them down on August 3, 2021, so there's nothing to mute or report anymore.

  4. Article · 2 min

    What Were Twitter Moments and What Replaced Them?

    Twitter Moments collected tweets into curated stories from 2015. Creation was removed from apps in 2018 and ended for most users in December 2022. What to use now.

    In short: Moments were curated collections of tweets telling a story, launched in 2015; Twitter removed Moment creation from its apps in 2018 and ended creation for most users in December 2022, leaving threads, Lists, bookmarks and X's AI-written trend summaries as the closest replacements.

  5. Article · 2 min

    What Were Ticketed Spaces on Twitter?

    Ticketed Spaces let hosts charge for live audio on Twitter in 2021 and 2022. How they worked, why they ended in late 2022, and how to earn from Spaces now.

    In short: Ticketed Spaces let eligible Twitter hosts sell tickets to live audio rooms from 2021; Twitter discontinued them in late 2022 to focus on other parts of Spaces, and today creators earn from audio through subscriptions and sponsorships instead.

  6. Article · 2 min

    Hive Social vs Mastodon (and the Other X Alternatives in 2026)

    Hive Social and Mastodon compared with Bluesky and Threads as X alternatives in 2026: how each works, who uses them, moderation, privacy and what to expect.

    In short: Mastodon is a decentralized, open-source network of independent servers with chronological feeds; Hive Social is a small app run by one company, popular briefly in late 2022; for most people leaving or supplementing X in 2026, Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon are the larger options.

  7. Article · 2 min

    Can You Get the Old Twitter Back? What Actually Works

    There's no official way to restore classic Twitter. What works: the Following feed, display settings, the old look in mockups, and careful use of extensions.

    In short: No, X has no setting to restore the classic Twitter design or bird logo; you can get closer by using the Following tab, adjusting display settings, muting features you dislike, or using a well-reviewed browser extension that restyles x.com.