Twitter/X rival T2 rebrands as ‘Pebble,’ saying the old name was never permanent

An X challenger named itself T2 at launch to compete with Twitter, but that name is no longer used. The company announced on its platform that the X competitor will be called “Pebble.”

Pebble users received a brief explanation for the name change:

“A pebble is something small and unassuming. It can be tossed into the vast ocean like a tiny message sent out into the world. Each has its own unique character. Some are round and friendly. Some have edges to them. They make ripples that expand ever outward and change the nature of the sea itself. As they collect onshore, they create a spectacular beach where people can gather and admire the view. It’s a place we can visit and share ideas in times of joy, sadness, concern, and celebration.”

The message added that the social network found T2 “too derivative and a bit uninspired” and never intended to keep it. After finding the Icelandic top-level domain.is, they realized they could connect with their community by naming the site pebble.is.

That means T2 usernames will be pebble-shaped to match the rebranding.is/[username].

In addition to the rebrand, Pebble has a new logo and a new “Ideas” feature that suggests posts based on your bio, chatting history, and followers. To skip a suggestion, tap “ignore”.

In the months since its launch, Pebble has cloned many of Twitter’s former features, including the verification checkmark, even giving users their “legacy” verification back, quote posts, DMs, and its own For You feed. The network differs from Twitter/X rivals Mastodon and Bluesky, which don’t offer quotes or private DMs like Twitter did, and the latter doesn’t offer DMs at all.

Pebble, founded by Gabor Cselle, who sold his companies to Twitter and Google, and Sarah Oh, Twitter’s former human rights advisor, raised $1.1 million. Bradley Horowitz, Rich Miner, and Katherine Mah, former Wikipedia CEO, are angel investors.