Hands on with X’s new AI-powered custom feeds

2026-04-22 · Source: TechCrunch · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Emerging Technologies & Innovation · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, short

Summary

X has launched Grok-powered Custom Timelines, a new feature allowing users to access over 75 specific topic-based feeds that can be pinned to their tab. The company describes this as one of the app's "biggest changes," utilizing Grok's AI to both construct and personalize these timelines for individual users. This release coincides with the shutdown of X Communities, a declining feature that allowed member-based groups. Custom Timelines function by having Grok's AI read and understand every post, then apply topic labels, rather than relying on traditional signals like keywords. Initially, the feature is available to Premium subscribers on iOS, with Android support planned. Users can pin up to 10 custom timelines, which notably include ad placements in the second position, potentially boosting X's struggling ad revenue.

Key takeaway

For Product Managers evaluating content curation strategies, X's Grok-powered Custom Timelines demonstrate a shift from keyword-based filtering to semantic AI understanding. Your team should consider how advanced AI models can enhance content relevance and personalization, especially for niche topics. This approach could improve user engagement and create new opportunities for ad inventory, but requires careful consideration of potential AI biases in content selection.

Key insights

Grok's AI powers X's new custom timelines by semantically labeling posts, moving beyond keyword-based feeds.

Principles

• AI can enable deeper content understanding for personalization.
• Product decisions influence user exposure to news and topics.

Method

Grok's AI reads and comprehends each post, then assigns relevant topic labels. These labels are used to curate custom timelines, which are also personalized for individual users.

In practice

• Pin up to 10 custom timelines for quick access.
• Explore new interests or specific topics on demand.

Topics

• Grok AI
• Custom Timelines
• xAI
• X Premium
• Ad Inventory

Best for: Product Manager, AI Product Manager, Tech Journalist, General Interest

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by TechCrunch.