X launches Grok-powered Custom Timelines as it shuts down Communities feature

X Introduces Grok-Powered Custom Timelines for Premium Subscribers

X has launched Grok-powered Custom Timelines, a feature the company describes as one of the biggest changes to the social media platform to date. Available initially to Premium subscribers on iOS, these AI-powered custom feeds allow users to pin specific topics to their home tab, with Android support coming soon 1

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. According to X's head of product, Nikita Bier, the feature leverages Grok's understanding of every post combined with algorithm personalization to curate user timelines uniquely tailored to individual preferences 2

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The Custom Timelines feature offers access to over 75 categories spanning topics from Business & Finance and Technology to niche interests like K-pop, robotics, and cryptocurrency 3

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. Users can pin up to 10 topics or lists by scrolling past their For You feed and Following feeds, then tapping the Add+ button to select their preferred categories 1

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. All Premium subscription tiers can access this feature, and Bier notes the AI-curated feeds work even better for topics users already engage with 2

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How Grok Reads and Labels Content

Unlike traditional content curation methods, X representatives explained that these Custom Timelines don't rely on keywords or hashtags. Instead, Grok reads every post, understands its context, and adds topic labels using AI models from xAI, the company that acquired X last year 1

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. This deeper integration between X and xAI demonstrates how Elon Musk's ventures continue to intertwine, positioning Grok as central to the platform's content discovery strategy.

The feature also presents a strategic product change that could boost X's struggling ad business. Testing revealed that the second position in each feed contains an ad, effectively increasing ad inventory across the platform 1

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. This matters significantly given conflicting reports about whether X's advertising revenue has recovered since Musk's acquisition.

X Communities Shutdown Amid Declining Usage

Simultaneously with this launch, X announced it will shut down X Communities on May 6th due to declining usage 2

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. The Communities feature had allowed users to create member-based communities around various topics, but the company is now encouraging users to migrate to group chats within XChat, the platform's messaging service 2

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. This move positions X differently from competitors like Threads and Mastodon, which continue embracing community-focused feeds.

Content Concerns and Political Bias Questions

The initial news-related topics lead with Iran Conflict, Crime, and Elections at the top of suggestions, which likely reflects current conversations on X but also demonstrates how product decisions can influence what news people see 1

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. While Grok was created to be politically neutral and truth-seeking, it has previously skewed right or amplified misinformation. However, testing of the Custom Timelines showed feeds drawing from a range of outlets including ABC, CBS, Reuters, AP, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, and BBC, without obvious political bias 1

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Grok has faced scrutiny from lawmakers globally after its image generation tool produced inappropriate content earlier this year, including incidents involving minors that led to lawsuits against xAI last month 2

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. As X continues to personalize their feeds through AI curation, questions about content moderation and user engagement patterns will likely persist. Whether Premium iOS subscribers and future Android users will embrace this shift from community-based discovery to AI-curated topic feeds remains to be seen.