Apple’s App Store has recently encountered a rather peculiar issue with Elon Musk’s Twitter rebranding. The tech mogul’s long-planned transformation of Twitter into “X” has hit a snag, as the App Store refuses to acknowledge the single-character name, resulting in Twitter’s continued presence under its old moniker.
The discrepancy was first observed by Bleeping Computer, which noticed that the X app is still listed as Twitter on the App Store. According to Apple’s guidelines, all apps must be listed with at least two characters. Consequently, the attempt to change the app’s name to just “X” has encountered an obstacle, leaving Musk and his team facing an unexpected challenge.
This led to some comical search results for users attempting to locate Elon Musk’s X app on the App Store. A simple search for “X” yields unrelated results like Xbox and VPN services, while searching for “X app” does manage to pull up Twitter as a result, albeit with its outdated name and the familiar Twitter logo.
Elon Musk’s rebranding efforts have been far from seamless. The app’s landing page showcases a conspicuous X logo, but alongside it remains the name “Twitter,” creating an inconsistent and confusing user experience. While the Google Play Store has successfully updated the app’s name to “X,” the situation remains unresolved with Apple’s App Store.
The X rebranding has been the subject of both anticipation and criticism. Many followers of Elon Musk were curious to witness the transformation, but the lack of a cohesive and unified brand image has drawn disapproval. With the App Store’s refusal to recognize the single-character name, the process has hit yet another stumbling block.
However, there is optimism that this issue will eventually be resolved, and the X app will be appropriately named on the App Store. For now, though, users who wish to download Elon Musk’s app on their iPhones must navigate the App Store’s quirks and search for “Twitter” instead of the intended “X.”
As Elon Musk and his team work on refining the X branding, they will likely address the issue with Apple and arrive at a solution that adheres to the App Store’s guidelines. Until then, Twitter – or rather, “X” – will remain as it has been for years on Apple’s digital storefront, providing a humorous reminder that even tech giants can face unforeseen challenges during the process of rebranding.