Hands on with X’s new AI-powered custom feeds
TL;DR
X's AI-powered custom timelines are replacing Communities, with Grok-curated feeds...and new ad slots.
What changed
X launched Grok-powered Custom Timelines on April 22, 2026. Users pick from over 75 topics like Technology, AI, Sports, Politics, and Cryptocurrency. Grok curates feeds by reading every post and adding topic labels, then personalizes based on user engagement. All Premium tiers access it on iOS, with Android coming soon; pin up to 10 feeds to the home tab after scrolling right past For You and Following.
X shuts down Communities the same week due to declining use. Ads now appear in the second slot of each custom feed, boosting inventory.
Why it matters
This ties X tighter to xAI after its 2025 acquisition, using Grok models for deeper content understanding beyond keywords or hashtags. It shifts from user-moderated groups to AI-curated discovery, pressuring rivals like Bluesky's custom feeds. Ad placement in niche feeds could stabilize X's revenue, down since Musk's takeover.
Vibe Builders gain topic-specific streams for research or audience building without manual lists. The bet: AI personalization keeps users longer than static communities.
How to use it
Subscribe to X Premium if needed (starts at $8/month). On iOS app, swipe right past For You and Following tabs, tap the + icon, select topics, and pin up to 10. Reorder from the same screen; switch feeds by tapping pinned tabs on home.
Android rollout pending; no free access or web support yet.
Watch for
Success shows in Android launch and Premium sign-ups; failure if bias claims spike or feeds feel generic. Expect topic expansion or Grok integration with XChat group links next.
What to watch next
X's Grok feeds sound smart, but for a solo Vibe Builder in 2026, they mean ditching manual Notion boards or Zapier RSS pulls for one-tap topic dives. You get real-time curation on AI, crypto, or no-code tools without building pipelines. Trade-off: Premium lock-in and Grok's right-lean risk taint neutral research, forcing cross-checks with Bluesky or RSS.
Communities dying kills your niche group experiments; AI feeds centralize control, so X owns discovery. Ad spam in slot two erodes clean signals fast.
Pin tech and AI feeds now. Test for your stack's signal quality this week.
by Harsh Desai
About grok
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