X Corp rebranded Twitter to “X” in 2023, but as of September 2026 the “Twitter” name is legally back in play — a U.S. federal court partially ruled against X Corp’s trademark claims over the name, reopening a dispute that most users thought was settled.
Key Takeaways
- The platform has operated as “X” since 2023, but “Twitter” never fully disappeared from official use.
- On September 3, 2026, a Delaware federal judge issued a split ruling in X Corp v. Operation Bluebird, the company behind a competing app.
- X Corp kept protection over its core “Twitter”-formative trademarks, but lost on two “Tweet” registrations and its bird-logo marks, which the court found were likely abandoned.
- The competing app rebranded from “Twitter.now” to “Tweet.app” within a day of the ruling.
- For everyday users, the platform itself is still X — this dispute is between X Corp and a third-party startup, not a rebrand back to Twitter.
How We Got Here
Elon Musk renamed Twitter to X in 2023, stating the company intended to move away from the Twitter brand and its bird logo entirely. Despite that, X’s own App Store listing has continued describing the app as “X (formerly known as Twitter)” — a detail that became legally significant in 2026 when a startup called Operation Bluebird launched a competing product initially named “Twitter.now.”
The September 2026 Ruling, Explained
Judge Colm F. Connolly issued a split decision. X Corp won a preliminary injunction protecting eight Twitter-formative word marks, with the court pointing to X’s own App Store description as evidence the company still actively uses the “Twitter” name commercially. However, the court rejected X Corp’s claims over two separate “Tweet” trademark registrations and three bird-logo marks, ruling these were likely abandoned — citing Musk’s own 2023 statement that the company would “bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds” as evidence of intent to stop using them.
What Each Side Won and Lost
| Trademark Element | Outcome |
|---|---|
| “Twitter”-formative word marks (8 total) | X Corp retains protection (preliminary injunction granted) |
| “Tweet” trademark registrations (2) | Claims rejected — court found likely abandonment |
| Bird logo marks (3) | Claims rejected — court found likely abandonment |
| Result for Operation Bluebird | Can currently use “Tweet” name and bird imagery; rebranded to Tweet.app |
What This Means for Regular Users
Practically, nothing changes about the platform you use day to day — it’s still X, at x.com, with the same features and login requirements. This ruling is a trademark dispute between X Corp and a separate startup, not a decision to revert the platform’s name. It does matter, though, if you’re evaluating other apps or tools that use “Twitter” or “Tweet” branding, since the legal ground under those names is actively shifting and X Corp has said it may appeal or pursue the case further at trial.
Why People Still Say “Twitter”
Habit is a big part of it — “tweet” and “Twitter” were embedded in everyday language for over a decade before the 2023 rebrand. X’s own continued use of “formerly known as Twitter” in its App Store listing hasn’t helped the old name fade, and tools built around the platform — including viewers like Sotwe — commonly use “Twitter” and “X” interchangeably since both refer to the same underlying platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Twitter still called Twitter in 2026?
The platform operates as X, at x.com, and has since 2023. However, a September 2026 court ruling found X Corp still actively uses the Twitter name commercially, and a separate legal dispute over the name and related trademarks is ongoing.
What was the September 2026 court ruling about?
It was a trademark dispute, X Corp v. Operation Bluebird, over a competing app that initially launched as ‘Twitter.now.’ A Delaware federal judge issued a split decision, protecting X Corp’s core Twitter-formative marks while rejecting its claims over the ‘Tweet’ name and bird-logo trademarks.
Did X Corp lose the case?
Not entirely — it was a split decision. X Corp kept protection on its main Twitter-related word marks but lost on two Tweet trademark registrations and its bird logos, which the court found were likely abandoned. X Corp can still appeal or pursue the case at trial.
Why do people still say 'tweet' instead of 'post'?
The terms ‘tweet’ and ‘Twitter’ were in everyday use for over 15 years before the 2023 rebrand, and X’s own materials have continued referencing ‘formerly known as Twitter,’ which has kept the old terminology alive.
Does this ruling affect tools like Sotwe?
No. This is a trademark dispute between X Corp and a specific competing app. Twitter viewer tools that read public X content aren’t a party to the case and aren’t affected by its outcome.
