Apple bends its rule to allow Musk's rebranded Twitter app "X" to be listed in the App Store

The other day we told you that Apple had not allowed Twitter to rebrand as "X" in the App Store since it had a rule preventing app developers from naming their apps as a single character. We also pointed out that Google didn't have such a rule and did allow "X" to mark the spot of the social media platform's Android app. But if you look at your iPhone's home screen this morning, you're likely to note that the "X" app icon doesn't say Twitter underneath it anymore and says "X" which means Apple has officially approved the new name.

Likewise, if you go to the App Store and search for "X," you'll see no mention at all of the Twitter name as all reference to the old moniker has been replaced by the 24th letter of the alphabet. Just the other day, the listing in the App Store showed the new "X" icon but called the app "Twitter." We wonder whether Musk will end up selling the Twitter name since there still might be some value to it, and it might bring in some much-needed cash to the company.

At the least, it might help "X" pay whatever fines the city of San Francisco brings against the outfit for replacing the Twitter sign on the company's headquarters with a pulsating "X" at the top of the building. Not only didn't Musk obtain the necessary permit for this, it seems that neighbors are complaining about the bright light emanating from the sign at the top of the headquarters building.

As we've noted before, Elon wants to make "X" a super-app like China's WeChat which is used for instant messaging, mobile payments, and for social media posts. Also, Elon has had an obsession with the letter "X." He named his first company X.com and it was later sold to PayPal. Walter Isaacson, who wrote the biography "Jobs" and is writing one about Musk, made a comment that helps us understand why Elon is naming his WeChat competitor "X."

The author said, "His concept for X.com was grand. It would be a one-stop everything-store for all financial needs: banking, digital purchases, checking, credit cards, investments, and loans. Transactions would be handled instantly, with no waiting for payments to clear. His insight was that money is simply an entry into a database, and he wanted to devise a way that all transactions were securely recorded in real-time."

Eventually, Musk bought the name back from PayPal and we should see a huge transformation in the platform formerly known as Twitter. It would be funny, if after all of the complaints and insults launched at Musk over his running of Twitter, he had the last laugh after all. Getting Apple to greenlight the "X" name in the App Store is just the first step.