How badly X wants users to promote posts with a startling animated hand

An animation grabs attention

While users compose posts, an animated arm can reach across the screen toward the “promote” button. X introduced the attention-grabbing prompt after Elon Musk warned earlier this month that ads he considered ugly, shrill, strident or overstated could be barred from the platform.

Some users have shared images of the animation, including The Verge’s Tom Warren. It does not appear for everyone and seems limited to verified users or people with an X Premium subscription.

Users react to the prompt

Reactions to the animation have been negative. Sheel Mohnot said he had never promoted a post and disliked the screen takeover. Jesse Middleton described the hand and animation as jarring and compared the experience to a Halloween gag, saying it was real despite how surprising it felt.

What paid promotion does

X’s paid promote feature can show a post to a larger audience based on location, interests or demographics. That audience can include people who do not follow the account. Promoted posts look like other posts on X, but carry a “promoted” or “ad” label.