X continues to bet on vertical video with its latest update

X has rolled out a new immersive video player, marking another significant move in the platform’s ongoing push toward more video-first experiences.

Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, shared the update earlier this week and acknowledged that the old video player “badly needed a refresh.” The revamped design is meant to make video watching feel smoother and more engaging, particularly for users on mobile devices.

The feature, now gradually rolling out to iOS users, lets viewers expand a video to full-screen with a single tap. After entering full-screen mode, users can swipe upward to move to the next clip — a flow that closely resembles the familiar TikTok-style format.

Still, not everyone is thrilled with the change. Some users say the new experience crops videos to full screen and removes the option to watch content in its original aspect ratio.

“This UI sucks so bad. Let me watch full-scale videos,” one user complained.

When another user asked which format X is prioritising, Bier said portrait is the preferred orientation. That stance reflects wider industry momentum, as vertical video has become the default across platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Even major streaming services are leaning into the format, with Disney+ being the latest to launch a vertical video feed.

“Sorry, but cropping the video incentivised people to post square videos. We are a mobile company,” Bier said, adding that X will no longer crop vertical content in the future.

Bier also suggested additional video-related changes are coming soon, reinforcing that X is continuing to invest heavily in its video strategy.

The timing is notable, especially since TikTok’s U.S. operations were sold to an American investor group last month. With that shift in the backdrop, X appears eager to position itself as a stronger competitor by expanding its video tools to appeal to both viewers and creators.

The new player follows X’s launch of a dedicated vertical video feed that rolled out globally last year. The company has also been weaving in AI-powered features, including Grok’s text-to-video generation capability.

At the same time, Grok’s image-generation tool recently drew criticism and controversy, which led X to limit access to paying subscribers after the feature enabled users to generate sexualised and nude images of women and children.