Apple might cease social media customer support on X & YouTube: Report

Apple is reportedly discontinuing its customer support services on social media platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter), YouTube, and the Apple Support Community online forum. According to reports, the tech giant intends to eliminate roles for social media support advisors on these platforms, with this transition set to begin later this year.

End of human responses

Starting from 1 October, the @AppleSupport account on X will cease providing direct messages with human responses. Instead, users on X will receive automated messages directing them to alternative support channels. Additionally, Apple will no longer offer assistance to customers in the comments section of YouTube videos on the Apple Support channel.

The reasons behind this change remain unclear. Speculation suggests that it could be a cost-cutting measure, especially following X's API price increase earlier in the year, which may have elevated the cost of managing social media interactions. Another possibility is that these platforms may not be the most efficient means of delivering technical support to customers.

Transition & employee reactions

Apple is reportedly offering the affected employees the option to transition to phone-based support roles within the company. However, some advisors may be unable or unwilling to make this shift. Notably, employees are not permitted to switch to another chat-based support role unless there are medical reasons, leading to frustration among some members of the social media team.

The company plans to train employees for phone support, and the transition is expected to be completed by November. Employees who prefer not to work on the phones have been encouraged to seek opportunities outside of Apple.

While Apple's move to reduce social media customer support is noteworthy, it's not the only tech company making such adjustments. Last year, Sony and Netflix also stopped offering one-to-one customer support via Twitter, opting to guide customers towards their company-owned platforms.

In the midst of these changes, Apple is gearing up for its highly anticipated global product launch on September 12, where the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series and potentially new Apple Watches.