Annoyed by X’s “tap and hold” images? X starts cracking down on them as a “spam attack”

Images that change when you tap and hold have become a trend on X, prompting users to publish a flood of posts. In some cases, these posts have taken over users’ timelines. I found the idea interesting at first, but after they filled my timeline, my impression turned negative.

In response to complaints about timelines filling up with tap-and-hold images, X Head of Product Nikita Bier called them a “spam attack” and said X had reduced their visibility in users’ timelines.

Does “tap and hold” count as spam?

Since around July 23, many X users have posted images that change when you tap and hold them. At first, these posts show only part of an image, while the rest blends into the app’s background color. When you tap and hold the image, the hidden portion appears in the area that matched the background.

A small number of these posts might not bother users, but some users have complained that the posts have filled their timelines and become irritating.

On July 25, X Head of Product Nikita Bier responded: “This spam attack was mitigated tonight. Your feed will improve in the next 6-12 hours.” His statement confirmed that X had reduced the timeline visibility of posts containing tap-and-hold images. Bier did more than announce a visibility reduction. By calling the trend a “spam attack,” he signaled that X views these posts as a problem.

After checking several posts, I found strong signs that X may have flagged some posts containing tap-and-hold images as potential spam.

When you open the [Report post] screen on X, the app sometimes preselects a category for certain posts. X has not confirmed what this means, but users have inferred that a preselected category reflects a flag X has attached to the post.

For some posts containing tap-and-hold images that I viewed, X had preselected [Spam] on the [Report post] screen. This suggests that X may have classified some tap-and-hold posts as spam.

“Tap and hold” posts could cost you monetization

I do not recommend posting tap-and-hold images from an account enrolled in X’s Creator Revenue Sharing program. In the article below, I discussed the possibility that X could remove accounts from the program if it classifies tap-and-hold posts as engagement bait.

[Android] Why X images do not change when you tap and hold and how to fix it

Many posts on X now feature images that change when you tap and hold them. In the Android app, however, the image may appear in its post-tap-and-hold state from the start, with no change when you tap and hold it. The image resolution setting used during loading causes this issue. In this article, I explain how to check and change the relevant settings.

July 25, 2026

In its Content Monetization Policies, X prohibits engagement bait that asks users to interact with content through artificial means. X Head of Product Nikita Bier has said that X may remove accounts from Creator Revenue Sharing after three or more attempts to solicit engagement with tactics such as “I’ll follow everyone who replies.” X may also suspend those accounts in some cases.

X will decide whether posts that change when users tap and hold the image qualify as engagement bait. Given Bier’s description of the trend as a “spam attack,” publishing these posts from a monetized account carries substantial risk.

Users who do not monetize their accounts should also avoid tap-and-hold posts to reduce the risk to their accounts.