X just made a massive chunk of its code public

On Thursday, X announced it’s significantly expanding its open source codebase — and for the first time, users will be able to see if their account or posts have been quietly suppressed by the platform’s ranking systems.

The company is releasing the source code for the “For You” timeline — the default feed you see when you open the app — on GitHub under the Apache v2 license. That’s a big deal on its own, but the move goes further. X is also opening up parts of its code that were previously closed, including model configuration, filters, and core ranking system details. That means the parameters used to weight different signals — the stuff that determines which posts actually surface — are now out in the open.

This makes the codebase roughly 10 to 15 times larger than it was before. Not exactly a small gesture.

What’s actually in the open source release?

According to X’s VP of Product, Keith Coleman, the release gives you the core ranking code that pulls posts, ranks them for any given user, and assembles the feed. But that’s not all.

“You can see the systems that filter out potentially problematic, rule-violating content,” Coleman told TechCrunch. “And some of those systems, like the ranker and the score, you can even run yourself outside the company.”

That’s a notable shift. Previously, X’s algorithm was a black box — even to developers who wanted to understand why certain posts got buried. Now, anyone with the technical chops can run the ranking system themselves.

Coleman admitted this level of openness might surprise people. “This is the kind of thing that I think people will be fairly shocked that we are releasing,” he said.

A new transparency tool for regular users

Of course, not everyone is going to dig through GitHub repositories. So X is also rolling out a transparency tool that’s actually accessible to everyday users.

The new feature lives on an “Under the Hood” page in the app’s settings. It’s currently being tested with a pilot group of accounts that are at least a year old, and it will roll out more broadly later.

Here’s how it works:

• If you’ve posted 10 or more times in the past month, you can download your aggregate stats as a JSON file.
• The file shows whether any labels have been applied to your account or posts over the past calendar month.
• That tells you if you’ve been shadowbanned or otherwise impacted by X’s ranking systems.

Not a technical user? No problem. X suggests you can drop the JSON file into an LLM of your choice, point the AI at X’s GitHub repo, and ask for an interpretation. It’s a practical workaround for people who want answers without learning to code.

External researchers already tested the code

Before the public release, X previewed the codebase to external researchers who specialize in recommendation systems. Those researchers were able to train and run X’s Phoenix scoring system using the open source code — a major milestone, according to Coleman.

Developers can now submit pull requests to the GitHub repository, and X engineers will consider incorporating those updates into the algorithm. Not every suggestion will make the cut, but Coleman is clearly excited about the possibility.

“That would be amazing to have people submitting code that improves the algorithm,” he said. “I mean, how cool would it be for the X algorithm to be not just visible to the public, but also, like, by the public?”

What’s not included (and why)

There are some gaps. Systems that use Grok to predict whether a post might violate a rule are not part of this release. X says that’s intentional — to prevent bad actors from using the code to work around the rules and flood the network with spam.

So while the release is substantial, it’s not total. The company is keeping some cards close to its chest.

Why this matters for shadowban concerns

The changes are aimed at addressing long-standing concerns about how X’s algorithm influences politics, elections, and the spread of misinformation. The platform has been home to political figures and high-profile individuals for years, and it’s now owned by a trillionaire who helped President Trump get elected.

But the transparency issues predate Musk’s ownership. Republicans in Congress alleged years ago that Twitter leaned too far left and claimed the network had “shadowbanned” their posts — making them invisible or undiscoverable without the user’s knowledge. Twitter consistently denied those claims.

Coleman says the goal is to let the public assess how posts are distributed, vet that it’s a level playing field, and critique it if it’s not.

“That’s the whole goal of this: [the code] can be audited; it can be critiqued,” he said. “We’re going to listen, and we want to make the system one that people like and trust, and feel is fair.”

The bigger picture: transparency vs. privacy

There’s some irony here. While X is pushing for more transparency around its code, the company has arguably become less transparent overall under Musk. As a private company, it’s no longer required to report to the SEC, and it’s been less forthcoming about user metrics, growth, revenue, and government takedown requests.

Now that X has merged with SpaceX, its monthly active users are once again public. But the broader picture is mixed — more open in some ways, less in others.

Still, for users who’ve wondered whether their posts were being suppressed, this is a meaningful step. The ability to check your own account’s status, combined with the open source code, gives people a way to verify what’s happening rather than just speculating.

Whether it’s enough to rebuild trust remains to be seen. But it’s a start — and it’s a lot more than most social platforms offer.

Task Manager Has a Blind Spot

For as long as I’ve used Windows, Task Manager has been my go-to for checking hardware usage or hunting down rogue processes. But honestly? I stuck with it out of habit, not because it’s the best tool for the job.

That hit me hard last week. My CPU was pinned at a steady 40 percent, and the culprit was dllhost.exe. Task Manager showed me the process name and its CPU number — and that was it. No details on which DLL it was hosting, no file path, no way to dig deeper. I was staring at a black box.

Enter Process Explorer: A 17-Year-Old Veteran

Then I remembered a tool I’d used years ago: Process Explorer. First released in 2001, this free utility from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite is still actively maintained. It’s often called Task Manager on steroids — and for good reason.

Within minutes of launching it, I could see exactly what dllhost.exe was doing. Process Explorer reveals the command line, the full path to the executable, and even the specific COM object the process is hosting. That one insight turned a frustrating guessing game into a quick fix.

What Process Explorer Does That Task Manager Can’t

• Tree view: See parent-child relationships between processes, so you know what spawned what.
• Full details: Double-click any process to get a mountain of tabs — performance, threads, TCP/IP, environment variables, and more.
• DLL and handle search: Use Ctrl+F to find which process has a file or DLL locked. Task Manager can’t do this at all.
• Color-coded processes: Services are pink, processes are blue, and new items flash green — you can spot changes instantly.

Why a 17-Year-Old App Still Wins

You’d think a tool that predates Windows XP would feel dated. Process Explorer doesn’t. It’s been updated consistently, and it supports 64-bit systems, high-DPI displays, and modern Windows versions up to Windows 11. It’s free, portable (no installation needed), and runs on any Windows PC.

Task Manager has improved over the years — the Windows 10 and 11 versions are far better than the old XP-era one. But it still hides the deep technical data that power users crave. Process Explorer hands it to you on a silver platter.

If you’re troubleshooting a dllhost.exe high CPU issue or just want to understand what your computer is really doing, this is the tool to grab. It’s also a lifesaver for finding which process is using a specific file — something Task Manager simply can’t do.

How to Get Started

Download Process Explorer from the official Sysinternals site. Unzip the folder, run procexp64.exe (or procexp.exe on 32-bit systems), and you’re in. It doesn’t even need admin rights for basic viewing, though you’ll want to run it as administrator to see full details on system processes.

Replace Task Manager in your muscle memory. The learning curve is gentle — the interface looks familiar, but every click reveals more depth. Once you’ve used Process Explorer, going back to the default tool feels like driving a car with a blindfold on.

So next time your CPU spikes and Task Manager gives you nothing but a name and a number, remember: there’s a free 17-year-old app that runs circles around it. Give it a try.

Why Android’s built-in automation feels shallow

Most people have dabbled with the smart automation features baked into our phones. Between Samsung’s routines, Google Assistant, and the newer Gemini integrations, it feels like there are plenty of ways to automate a job. But here’s the thing: I’ve always found them disappointingly surface-level, especially when you stack them against the Shortcuts app on iPhones, which is genuinely stellar.

Android’s native tools are fine for the basics—turning on Wi-Fi when you get home, silencing notifications during a meeting. But the moment you want something even slightly unconventional, you hit a wall. Google’s approach is to hand you a few pre-baked recipes and hope you don’t ask for more.

That’s where Tasker automation steps in. It’s been around for over a decade, and it still does things that Google won’t even attempt.

Tasker isn’t just another automation app—it’s a toolbox

Tasker isn’t a single-purpose tool. It’s closer to a Swiss Army knife for your phone’s operating system. You build “profiles” that trigger “tasks” based on conditions you define—time, location, sensor data, app activity, even the content of a notification.

Want your phone to read out incoming texts when you’re driving? Tasker can do that. Want to automatically switch to grayscale mode at 10 PM to curb late-night scrolling? Done. Want to log every time you open Instagram and how long you spend there? Tasker will track it and even generate a report.

The real power, though, comes from its plugin ecosystem. Tools like AutoInput let you simulate taps and swipes, while Tasker’s built-in variables let you create logic loops that would make a programmer smile.

Tasker vs. Samsung Routines: No contest

Samsung’s Routines are slick and user-friendly, no doubt. But they’re also locked down. You can only use the conditions and actions Samsung decided to expose. Tasker, on the other hand, gives you root-level access if you’re willing to go that far, and even without root, it can reach into system settings that Samsung hides away.

Tasker vs. Google Assistant’s routines

Google Assistant routines are voice-first and cloud-dependent. That means they break when your connection is flaky, and they can’t do anything that requires local, real-time processing. Tasker runs entirely on your device, so it’s faster, more private, and infinitely more flexible.

What Tasker can do that Google won’t touch

Let’s get concrete. Here are five things I’ve personally set up with Tasker that would be impossible (or absurdly convoluted) with Google or Samsung’s tools:

• Notification-based triggers: When a specific app sends a notification with certain text, Tasker can react—like auto-replying to a message from your partner when you’re in a meeting.
• Sensor fusion: Combine accelerometer data, light sensor readings, and battery level to create a context-aware profile. For example, if the phone is face-down and the room is dark, it could assume you’re asleep and silence everything.
• Variable manipulation: Store data across profiles, calculate things, and build complex decision trees. It’s like having a mini programming language in your pocket.
• Auto-input simulation: With the AutoInput plugin, Tasker can physically tap buttons on your screen. That means you can automate apps that don’t offer any official automation hooks.
• Tasker scenes: Create custom floating buttons or menus that appear over other apps. I’ve built a one-tap timer for my workouts that overlays any screen.

Getting started with Tasker: A quick primer

Tasker has a reputation for being intimidating, and honestly, it deserves it. The interface is dense, and the learning curve is steep. But the payoff is worth it, and there are ways to ease in.

Start with the built-in Tasker 101 tutorial, which walks you through your first profile. Then, browse the best Tasker profiles shared by the community—there are thousands of ready-made ones you can import with a single tap.

You’ll also want to grab a few essential plugins: Tasker itself, plus AutoInput, AutoNotification, and AutoTools. They’re paid, but they turn Tasker from a curiosity into a genuine workhorse.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

• Don’t try to build everything at once. Pick one small automation and master it before moving on.
• Read the variable names carefully. A single typo will break your profile silently.
• Use the “Test” button on every action before you rely on it. Trust me, you’ll save yourself hours of debugging.

Is Tasker still relevant in 2025?

You might be wondering: with all the AI-powered automation coming from Google and Samsung, is Tasker still necessary? The short answer is yes—more than ever.

Gemini and Assistant are great at understanding natural language commands, but they’re still bound by the same API limitations. They can’t reach into the guts of your device the way Tasker can. And as Google continues to lock down Android’s internals for security, Tasker’s community keeps finding workarounds.

Moreover, Tasker has evolved. It now supports JavaScript, has a modernized UI, and integrates with Home Assistant for smart home automation. It’s not a relic; it’s a living project with a dedicated developer and a passionate user base.

The bottom line

If you’re happy with the surface-level automation that Google and Samsung offer, that’s fine. But if you’ve ever felt that nagging itch—the sense that your phone could do so much more—then Tasker automation is the answer. It’s not the easiest path, but it’s the most rewarding one.

Give it a weekend. Import a few profiles. Break something. Fix it. You’ll never look at your Android the same way again.

For more on getting the most out of your device, check out our guide on Android customization tips and advanced phone productivity tricks.