X is shutting down Circles
X, the social media platform, has announced that it will be shutting down its Circles feature, which allows users to share posts with a limited group of people. In a recent announcement, X stated that Circles will be disabled by October 31st, and users will no longer be able to create new posts for their Circles or add people to their Circle. However, they will still have the option to remove people from their Circle. While X did not provide a reason for this decision, it is speculated that the company’s recent focus on its Facebook Groups-like Communities feature may have played a role. Stay tuned for more updates on X’s evolving platform.
X is shutting down Circles
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Overview of the decision to shut down Circles
X has recently made the decision to shut down its Circles feature, which allows users to share posts with a limited group of people instead of all of their followers. The company announced in a “PSA” that Circles will be disabled by October 31st. After this date, users will no longer be able to create new posts that are limited to their Circle or add people to their Circle. However, they will still have the ability to remove people from their Circle.
Circles will be disabled by October 31st
X has officially stated that Circles will be disabled by October 31st. This means that users will no longer be able to create new posts that are limited to their Circle after this date. Additionally, they will no longer have the option to add people to their Circle. X has not provided a specific reason for this decision, but it does come as the company has been focusing more on its Communities feature.
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Ability to remove people from Circles
Although users will no longer be able to add people to their Circles after October 31st, they will still have the ability to remove people from their Circles. X has provided instructions on how to do this, ensuring that users still have control over who is included in their limited audience.
Twitter’s launch of Circles in 2022
It is worth mentioning that Twitter, not X, officially launched Circles (which it called “Circle”) back in August 2022. At that time, Elon Musk was not yet the official owner of the company. However, in April, some posts intended for Circles started appearing on the platform’s For You timeline, which was not ideal for users who wanted their posts to be seen only by their handpicked Circle audience.
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Posts intended for Circles appearing on For You timeline
One of the issues that arose with the Circles feature on Twitter was that posts intended for Circles started appearing on the platform’s For You timeline. This meant that posts that were meant to be seen only by a limited audience were visible to all users. This caused inconvenience and frustration for users who wanted to have control over the visibility of their posts. It remains to be seen if X’s decision to shut down Circles is in response to this issue.
No given reason for shutting down Circles
X has not provided a specific reason for shutting down the Circles feature. However, it is possible that the company viewed Circles and its Communities feature as too similar to maintain both. X has been placing more emphasis on its Communities feature recently, which is similar to Facebook Groups. It is possible that X sees more potential and advantages in developing and expanding its Communities feature, leading to the decision to shut down Circles.
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Focus on Communities feature
X has been putting a greater focus on its Communities feature, similar to Facebook Groups. This feature allows users to join specific communities based on their interests and engage with like-minded individuals. Recently, X has been emphasizing the importance and value of Communities, indicating that it may be prioritizing this feature over Circles.
Possible similarities between Circles and Communities
Circles and Communities share some similarities in terms of their functionality and purpose. Both features provide a way for users to interact with a limited group of people and engage in more focused and specific discussions. There may be some overlap in the functionality of these features, which could have influenced X’s decision to shut down Circles in favor of Communities.
Impact of shutting down Circles
The decision to shut down Circles will have an impact on users who have been utilizing this feature to share posts with a limited group of people. These users will need to find alternative methods to achieve similar results, such as utilizing privacy settings or participating in relevant Communities. The shutdown of Circles may also lead to changes in how users engage with and interact on the platform.
Community reactions
The announcement of X shutting down Circles has garnered various reactions from the community. Twitter users have expressed their thoughts and opinions on this decision, with some expressing disappointment and frustration. There have been suggestions for improvement and concerns raised regarding privacy and control. It will be interesting to see how X responds to the feedback and if any changes are implemented based on the community’s response.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/21/23884851/x-shutting-down-circles-twitter
