What is a Retweet (RT)?

A retweet, also known as a 'repost,' is Twitter's (now rebranded as X) native sharing feature, allowing users to share another person's tweet with their own followers.

When you retweet content, the original tweet appears on your profile and in your followers' feeds, along with the original creator's username and profile picture. Retweets can be shared as-is or with added commentary (called a Quote Tweet).

This sharing mechanism is fundamental to how content spreads on X and helps expand the reach of tweets beyond the original poster's audience. It’s often used to:

• Amplify a message
• Show agreement or support
• Share breaking news
• Highlight relevant opinions or insights

In 2023, following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter and its rebranding to X, the traditional term “retweet” was officially replaced with “repost.” Despite the name change, many users still refer to it as a "retweet" out of habit or familiarity

How Retweets/Reposts Work on X

Below each post (tweet), you’ll find a repost icon (🔁). Clicking this icon allows you to share the original post with your followers, displaying the author’s handle alongside your repost icon in their feeds.

You can repost with a comment (formerly called a "quote tweet") or without one to simply amplify the message.

Additionally, users can disable reposts for their own posts, restricting others from sharing them, giving creators more control over their content’s distribution. If you turn off reposts, users will no longer be able to repost that specific post, but can still reply or quote it.

Types of Retweets/Reposts

• Standard Repost
  Shares the tweet as-is, displaying the original poster's name and content.
• Quote Repost:
  Allows users to add their own comment above the original tweet, used for commentary, context, or reactions.