X Tests Communities Link in Bottom Nav Bar

The new Communities quick link in the bottom nav bar on X is a shortcut that provides users with direct access to Communities within the app. This feature is being tested to potentially give Communities premium placement alongside other icons like the Grok chatbot shortcut, which was added to the nav bar late last year.

According to X, time spent on Communities has grown 600% in the past year. There are now over 350,000 communities on X, and around 650,000 community posts are created daily. This significant increase in usage indicates a growing demand for more enclosed chats and discussion groups within the broader X experience.

X has rolled out several updates for Communities, including:

• Updated recommendations for Communities that you might be interested in.
• Improved in-group search functionality.
• Highlights from new Communities that are trending within the 'Communities' tab.

These updates aim to enhance user engagement and make it easier for users to discover and participate in Communities.

X appears to be focusing on maximizing Communities to drive more engagement on the app. The growth stats shared by X, such as a 600% increase in time spent on Communities and the creation of around 650,000 community posts daily, suggest that there is significant user interest. This focus on Communities may outweigh concerns about potential UI clutter.

For X Premium subscribers, the new Communities quick link could potentially offer a dedicated, persistent access tab. Previously, Premium subscribers had the option to add the Communities icon via custom navigation options, but this did not increase the number of tabs, only allowed for customization of the five displayed. The new quick link could make it easier for users to check into Communities more often.