Users began noticing the new paywall for TweetDeck on Tuesday after the company previously hinted at an update.

Elon Musk’s rebranded social media platform, X—previously known as Twitter—has reserved its TweetDeck (XPro) dashboard exclusively for premium Blue subscribers.

Those without a Blue membership are now greeted with a detour: a direct route to the platform’s Blue subscription page.

TweetDeck, a keystone for many media professionals, offers a streamlined approach to account management and scheduling. The strategic pivot by the company appears to be a nudge, encouraging users to embrace its premium services for unhindered access to TweetDeck.

X had already set the stage for this shift on 3 July, announcing the upgrade of TweetDeck to a premium offering and allowing a 30-day transition window for users.

Subsequent to the move, the once-familiar URL, tweetdeck.com, now redirects to a premium sign up page that showcases the myriad advantages given to Blue subscription users. Payment plans, both monthly and annually, are offered at QAR 29/month or QAR 305/year in Qatar.

Beyond the allure of TweetDeck, X is sweetening the deal for its premium users. The array of perks includes publishing long-form content, the ability to upload 1080p videos, higher post ranking, and a slice of the recently announced revenue-sharing pie. The message from Musk’s camp is loud and clear: a robust push to amplify the premium user base.

Prior to its 2011 acquisition by Twitter, TweetDeck, was a celebrated standalone application. Its strength in handling multiple accounts and custom feeds made it invaluable to a wide range of professionals, from journalists to marketers, whose work orbits around the platform.

Now, Musk seems to be capitalising on its wide dependence.