How to make a tap and hold image
This guide walks you through making a working tap and hold (tap to reveal) image for X / Twitter — from picking the source picture to posting it correctly. Total time: about one minute.
Step 1 — Pick your image and mode
Choose Tap to Reveal if you want one image hidden behind a faint ghost, or A/B Swap if you want the timeline to show one clear picture and tap-and-hold to reveal a different one. High-contrast images with strong shapes work best for both.
Step 2 — Paint what stays visible
In Tap to Reveal mode, use the brush to mark the parts that remain visible in the timeline — a teaser outline, a caption, a silhouette. Everything unpainted hides until tap and hold. Less is more: a faint hint drives more taps than a busy teaser.
Step 3 — Check the preview
Drag the before/after divider. The left side simulates X's timeline thumbnail (white background, downscaled); the right side simulates the black tap-and-hold viewer. Adjust brightness boost or the cover/hidden sliders until both sides look right.
Step 4 — Download as PNG8
Export with the PNG8 button. X handles indexed-color PNG8 differently from regular RGBA PNGs, and PNG8 is the encoding that reliably preserves transparency after upload. It's also smaller, which keeps you safely under X's 5MB limit.
Step 5 — Post from a desktop browser
This is where most people break the trick. The X mobile app converts uploads to JPEG, which destroys transparency. Always upload from x.com in a desktop browser, then wait 1–2 minutes for X to process the thumbnail before checking the timeline on your phone. Add a caption like "Tap and hold the image 👀" so people know what to do.
Troubleshooting
Image looks the same everywhere? You probably posted from the mobile app — repost from desktop. Effect works but looks noisy? Reduce brightness boost, or use a higher-contrast source image. Nothing changed after posting? Wait the full 2 minutes — X processes thumbnails asynchronously.