I bear in mind when Twitter was extraordinarily hesitant so as to add too many choices to the underside bar within the app, and even flip-flopped on whether or not to provide “Moments” its personal fast hyperlink as a result of it was doubtlessly too cluttered.

Evidently, X is just not of the identical thoughts, as a result of it’s now experimenting with one other backside bar shortcut, this time for Communities.

As you’ll be able to see in this screenshot, posted by X Information Day by day, Communities might quickly get premium placement, alongside its Grok chatbot shortcut, which it added to the nav bar late final yr.

That may take X’s entry bar to 6 icons, up from the popular 4 underneath earlier Twitter administration.

I’m undecided what the UI science is on what’s too many on this respect, and what affect that will have on utilization. However once more, Twitter had tried a few totally different icons over time, however all the time reverted again to the 4 tab restrict.

However X, which is eager to increase the best way that folks use the app, is clearly extra centered on maximizing Communities than worrying about such impacts. And given the expansion stats that X has shared, it does look like Communities might drive extra engagement.

X reported again in March that time spent on Communities has grown 600% previously yr, whereas there are actually over 350,000 communities on X, and round 650,000 group posts created every day.

Which appears stunning, however clearly, there’s demand for extra enclosed chats and dialogue teams throughout the broader X expertise.

Which has additionally seen X roll out a bunch of updates for Communities, together with up to date recommendations for Communities that you simply is likely to be serious about, improved in-group search, and highlights from new Communities which are trending throughout the “Communities” tab.

And now, doubtlessly, a devoted, persistent entry tab as effectively, although X Premium subscribers might even have added the Communities icon through their customized navigation choices at one stage too (it’s not clear if that is nonetheless an choice for paying customers).

However that wouldn’t have given you extra tabs, simply the capability to alter the 5 displayed.

Will that get extra individuals checking into Communities extra typically?

Nicely, possibly, and once more, given the utilization stats reported by X, there does appear to be sufficient curiosity to justify it.

Although it might be attention-grabbing to know extra about why earlier platform administration was so immune to including in additional tabs alongside the underside nav bar.

I am going to ship Jack a DM.