“Genius, playboy, billionaire (philanthropist)?” – you know I’m talking about Elon Musk, right? The mind behind SpaceX and Tesla has pulled off another heist. He’s bagged Twitter for a hefty $44 billion and spun it into something entirely different. Love him or hate him, he’s axed the old Twitter name and logo, and as of this week, it’s officially called “X”. Yep, just “X”.
Musk’s love for the letter “X” is almost legendary. Remember the time when he was at the helm of Paypal? He briefly changed its branding to “X.com”. But after he was replaced as the CEO, it was promptly changed back to PayPal. However, the story doesn’t end there.
With just a quick look at his life and work, you’ll find that the theme is pervasive. His pioneering space company is named SpaceX, and his child’s name is, “X Æ A-12” (pronounced “X-ash-a-12“, and you’re welcome). It seems clear that “X” isn’t just a letter to Musk – it’s a symbol, a motif, a sign of his desire to push boundaries and redefine the norm, even within his own lineage.
So, if you’re a Chromebook user, and you’ve been wondering why your good ol’ Twitter bird has flown the coop, now you know. But don’t sweat it, I’ve got you covered. If you’d like to adopt the new branding and get on board early, here’s how:
It’s time to uninstall the Twitter web app icon
First off, the Twitter icon on your Chromebook’s app drawer? It’s just a placeholder now, leading you to “X”. Here’s how to ditch it and spruce up your launcher:
- Open your Chromebook’s launcher
- Find the Twitter web app icon
- Right-click on the Twitter icon (or tap with two fingers on the touchpad, or press Alt + click)
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ or ‘Remove from Chrome…’ and boom – you’ve just deleted Twitter as quickly as Elon did
Setting up your new “X” shortcut
Next up, you’ll probably want a shortcut to “X” (unless you’re worried about it looking like drugs or unsavory incognito websites). Here’s how to set up a new web app shortcut for X.com on your Chromebook:
- Open Chrome and get yourself to x.com
- Hit the three-dot menu at the top-right corner
- Hover over “More tools” to open a submenu
- Click “Create a shortcut…”
- When a dialog box pops up, type “X” (or any name you like) and hit ‘Create’
Just like that, you’ve got an “X” shortcut in your Chromebook’s launcher! Of course, you can always keep the Twitter icon if you want, but once Google starts automating PWA icon updates, this will no longer be possible.
Old Twitter Vibes still in the “X” nest
Despite Musk’s rebrand, you’ll still find some Twitter leftovers on “X”. When you’re crafting a new post, it still says “Tweet”, for instance. But as “X” grows and evolves, expect these vestiges of Twitter to share a grave with the logo itself.
Remember, a rebranding of this scale doesn’t happen overnight. As “X” finds its feet, expect more changes to come. In the meantime, keep this guide handy, and you’ll be surfing “X” just as smoothly as you did Twitter. Elon’s desire to copycat WeChat and create an ‘everything app’ is disturbing and beautiful all at the same time, and this is just the beginning. Are you headed over to Threads, or does X mark the spot for you?
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