Twitter Trends: How to See Them and Use Them Well
Twitter trends are the topics and hashtags that X shows as surging right now, and you can see them in the Explore tab or in the “What’s happening” box on the web. By default they are tailored to you, based on who you follow, your interests and your location. You can switch to the trends of a specific place instead.
Below: how to see trending topics on X, how X picks them, and how to use one without hijacking it.
How do you see trends on X?
In the app (iOS and Android):
- Tap the search icon to open Explore.
- Open the Trending tab, or scroll the topics X shows you.
- Tap any trend to see the posts about it.
On the web (x.com):
- Look at the What’s happening box on the right side of your timeline.
- Click Show more, or go to Explore in the left menu.
Are Twitter trends personalized?
They are, by default. X’s help center says trends are picked by an algorithm tailored to you, which looks at who you follow, your interests and your location. Two people in the same city can see different lists.
You can turn this off and see the trends of a place instead:
| Where | How to change it |
|---|---|
| x.com | In the trends box, click Change (or open Explore settings with the gear icon) and pick a location |
| iOS and Android | Explore, then the settings gear, then turn off “Show content in this location” and choose a location |
| Any device | In Settings and privacy, look for Explore settings under the content you see |
When to use which view:
- Personalized shows what your corner of X talks about. Better for finding topics your followers care about.
- By location shows what a country or city talks about. Better for news and live events, or when you write for a local audience.
How does X pick trending topics?
X’s help center describes trends as topics that are popular now, not topics that are always popular. The algorithm favors a sudden rise in conversation over steady, everyday volume. That is why a topic people post about every day may never trend, while a smaller topic that jumps in one afternoon does.
A few things follow from that:
- Volume alone doesn’t decide it. X groups related hashtags and phrases about the same story, so one event can show as one trend.
- Trends move fast. Many fade within a day. A trend you see in the evening may be gone before your scheduled post goes out the next morning.
- Trends are not your niche. The global or national list is mostly news and entertainment. The trends that matter for your account are the ones your readers talk about.
How do you use a trend without hijacking it?
Hijacking is adding a trending hashtag to a post that has nothing to do with it, to borrow its reach. Readers notice, and it rarely brings the right followers. X’s platform manipulation and spam policy also prohibits artificially amplifying content, and stuffing a post with unrelated trending hashtags is the classic example.
Use a trend only when you have something real to add. A simple test:
- Is it related to what you post about? If your account is about SaaS, a trend about an outage at a payment provider is fair. A trend about a football final usually isn’t.
- Do you have a take, a fact or an experience? “Here’s what this means for small teams” adds something. “Wow, big news” doesn’t.
- Would the post still make sense next week? If not, post it today or not at all.
- Does it stay respectful? Skip trends about tragedies unless you have useful information to share.
Formats that work with a trend:
| Format | Example shape |
|---|---|
| What it means for your readers | “[Trend] changes one thing for [your reader]: [the thing].” |
| Your experience | “We hit [the same problem] last year. Here’s what we did: [what you did].” |
| A clear opinion | “Everyone is debating [trend]. The real question is [your angle].” |
| A practical how-to | “If [trend] affects you, do these 3 things today.” |
Write the post in your own words, and use the trend’s name or hashtag only if it fits naturally. For more on openings, see these Twitter hooks examples.
How fast should you post about a trend?
The same day, ideally within hours. A trend post works because it is timely, so it can’t sit in a queue for a week. A mix that works for many accounts is mostly evergreen posts planned ahead, plus a few open slots each day for what happens. How often should you post on X covers how to build that mix, and best time to post on Twitter covers when.
If you plan the week ahead, leave those slots empty on purpose (how to schedule tweets).
What tools help you track trends?
| Tool | What it shows | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| X Explore | Personalized or location trends, live | Free |
| X search (Top tab) | The most engaged posts for your own keywords | Free |
| X Pro (formerly TweetDeck) | Columns for searches and lists you follow | Requires X Premium (tiers) |
| X API trends endpoint | Trends by location for developers (what the API is) | Paid per request |
| Kalen | Your niche’s top posts and X trends every day, sent to your AI | From $9/mo |
For most people the free pair is enough: Explore for the big picture, then your own keywords on the Top tab. Find what works in your niche on X shows the search by hand.
Where does Kalen fit?
Kalen is an X assistant that connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Claude Code. He runs no writing model of his own: your AI writes the posts.
- Every day he researches your niche: the day’s top posts for your keywords and the X trends.
- When you ask for posts, he hands your AI that briefing and your open time slots. By default that’s about 40 posts a week: around 30 evergreen posts plus a daily “moment” complement that reacts to the day’s trends in your niche.
- Every draft is scored from 0 to 100 against what works in your niche and your own best posts, and weak drafts go back for up to 3 rewrites.
- Nothing is scheduled until you say yes in the chat. Posts go out through the official X API, and Kalen never @mentions other accounts.
A post costs 1 credit, 2 with a first reply or a link. Starter is $9/month (100 credits), Pro $29/month (700) and Ultra $49/month (1,500), each starting with 14 days free and 50 credits. Cancel before the trial ends and nothing is charged. See pricing, or connect Kalen to your AI.
FAQ
Why are my Twitter trends different from my friend’s?
Trends are personalized by default, so X tailors each list to the account and its location. Switch both of you to the same location to compare.
How do I see worldwide trends on X?
Open Explore settings, turn off trends for your current location, and pick a location. Choose “Worldwide” if your app version offers it; otherwise pick the countries you care about one at a time.
Does using a trending hashtag get more views?
It can put your post in front of people browsing the trend, but only posts that add something to the conversation keep their attention. Unrelated hashtags read as spam and can break X’s rules.
Can I schedule a post about a trend?
Yes, but keep it short-range. Schedule it for later the same day, while the trend is still live. More on reach in how the X algorithm works.