The Twitter logo was a blue bird, and since July 2023 the platform’s mark has been a black and white X. The bird in its final form dates from June 2012, when Twitter dropped its wordmark and kept only the bird, and it was used until the rebrand to X in July 2023.
Before that the company went through a green “twttr” pre-launch lettering, a rounded blue wordmark in 2006, and a wordmark with a small bird in 2010. This article covers each version, the font, the colors and what the bird was built from.
What Is the Twitter Logo?
The Twitter logo, in its best-known form, is a solid blue bird silhouette facing right with its beak lifted, introduced in June 2012 and designed by Martin Grasser, with Doug Bowman as Twitter’s creative director. It replaced the wordmark-plus-bird logo of 2010 and was retired in July 2023 for an X.
| Symbol | Blue bird silhouette (2012-2023); black X (2023-present) |
| Designer/agency | Bird: Martin Grasser (working through the agency West), with Doug Bowman. X: derived from a user submission and a standard X character; no designer officially credited |
| Current version since | July 2023 (X); the bird was in use from June 2012 to July 2023 |
| Colors (hex) | Twitter Blue #1DA1F2 (widely cited); X is black and white |
| Typeface | No typeface in the bird; the 2006 wordmark is often linked to a modified Pico Alphabet but this is not confirmed by Twitter |
| Previous major version | 2010-2012 “twitter” wordmark with a small bird |
Twitter was founded on March 21, 2006, in San Francisco and launched publicly on July 15, 2006. Elon Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition in October 2022, and the X rebrand followed in July 2023.
How Has the Twitter Logo Evolved Over Time?
The Twitter logo went through four main versions before the X: the green “twttr” lettering, the 2006 wordmark, the 2010 wordmark with a bird, and the 2012 bird alone. All of the bird versions came before the X replaced them in 2023.
The “twttr” Logo (2005-2006)
The earliest lettering was a glossy green “twttr” without vowels, from the period before the public launch. It was never the public brand, but it shows the first name the service was given.
The Original Twitter Logo (2006-2010)
The first public logo, from 2006, was a lowercase “twitter” wordmark in rounded bubble-like letters in light blue. Designer Linda Gavin is credited with it, reportedly working to a very tight deadline before the July 2006 launch. This is the “original Twitter logo” and the “2006 Twitter logo” people search for. Early versions of the site paired the wordmark with a small bird image, which was later identified as clip art by British designer Simon Oxley.
The Twitter Logo With a Bird (2010-2012)
The 2010 logo is the “twitter” wordmark with a bird at its right end. The bird, nicknamed “Larry” after Boston Celtics player Larry Bird, was first a cartoon-like figure from 2009 and then redrawn as a solid silhouette by Biz Stone and Philip Pascuzzo.
The Standalone Bird (2012-2023)
In June 2012 Twitter dropped the wordmark and made the bird its only logo, drawn from overlapping circles by Martin Grasser. Bowman announced the change on Twitter’s blog and described the bird as built from three sets of overlapping circles. It lost the head tuft of the 2010 bird, and its beak points upward.
The X Logo (2023-Present)
Musk announced the move to X on July 22, 2023, and the black X replaced the bird on July 23. The logo resembles the Unicode character U+1D54F, “mathematical double-struck capital X”. Musk had asked for logo ideas on the platform, and a user named Sawyer Merritt posted the video that showed the design. Monotype said the logo was not the capital X from its Special Alphabets 4 font, though it is similar. No designer is officially credited.
Wikipedia’s logo gallery lists a later X variant dated late 2025, but I could not find a primary source that describes it.
What Do the Design Elements of the Twitter Logo Mean?
Grasser has said he laid 15 circles over his drawings to make the curves of the chest, wings, head and beak consistent, and that the circles stand for Twitter’s idea of giving everyone a voice. The bird’s raised beak and upward angle read as optimistic.
The 2012 bird is not a specific species, though Wikipedia describes it as resembling a mountain bluebird. The bird also tied in with the language of the product: posts were called “tweets” and the verb became common.
What Are the Twitter Logo Colors?
The bird used Twitter Blue, #1DA1F2 (RGB 29, 161, 242), a hex code that is widely published for the brand. The 2006 wordmark used Pantone 2382 C according to one trademark-law review. The X logo is black and white, which marked the end of the blue identity. See also blue logos for how other brands use the color.
What Font Does the Twitter Logo Use?
The 2012 bird and the X have no typeface. The 2006 wordmark’s rounded letters are commonly linked to Pico Alphabet, a font by Masayuki Sato of Maniackers Design, but sources disagree, and some describe the lettering as custom or modified. Twitter never confirmed a font.
How Does the Twitter Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Twitter was one of the few platforms to rely on a symbol alone, with the bird often shown without its name. Facebook kept its wordmark in the same period. The X changed this: a letter is far less ownable than a bird, and other companies already use X in their branding.
How Should the Twitter Logo Be Used?
The bird logo is retired, and X Corp owns the Twitter and X trademarks, so using either one beyond editorial reference can be a trademark issue. In December 2025 a startup called Operation Bluebird petitioned the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel X Corp’s Twitter registrations, claiming the marks were abandoned, and X Corp sued it in federal court. As of the latest reports the case was still open, so check current records before relying on it.
FAQ on the Twitter Logo
What does the Twitter logo look like?
The last Twitter logo was a solid blue bird silhouette facing right with its beak raised and no text. The current logo is a black X.
Who designed the Twitter bird logo?
Martin Grasser designed the 2012 bird, working through the agency West, and Doug Bowman was Twitter’s creative director. Biz Stone and Philip Pascuzzo drew the earlier 2010 bird.
What was the original Twitter logo?
The first public logo in 2006 was a lowercase “twitter” wordmark in rounded light blue letters, credited to Linda Gavin.
What did the old Twitter logo look like in 2010?
It was the “twitter” wordmark with a small blue bird to its right, known as “Larry”.
What font was the Twitter logo?
The 2012 bird had no font. The 2006 wordmark is often linked to Pico Alphabet, but this was never confirmed by Twitter.
What color is the Twitter logo?
Twitter Blue, #1DA1F2, for the bird. The X logo is black and white.
What does the Twitter bird mean?
Grasser said the circles it is built from stand for giving everyone a voice, and the upward beak suggests optimism.
When did Twitter change its logo to X?
Musk announced the move on July 22, 2023, and the X replaced the bird on July 23, 2023.
How many circles are in the Twitter bird?
Grasser says he overlaid 15 circles on his drawings to shape the bird.
Is the Twitter name still trademarked?
X Corp holds the Twitter registrations. A startup called Operation Bluebird petitioned to cancel them in December 2025, and X Corp sued it.
Conclusion
The Twitter logo went from rounded lettering in 2006 to a blue bird in 2010 and a bird alone in 2012, then to the black X in July 2023. The bird is gone from the platform, but its circles, its blue and its role in everyday language remain what people mean when they ask about the Twitter logo.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Twitter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
- Wikipedia, X (social network) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_(social_network)
- Brand Knew Magazine, 4 things you didn’t know about Twitter’s logo – https://www.brandknewmag.com/?p=14503
- NBC News, Twitter gave its bird Larry a makeover – https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-gave-its-bird-larry-makeover-flna817972
- Mike Legal, A brief history of the iconic Twitter logo – https://blog.mikelegal.com/trademark/a-brief-history-of-the-iconic-twitter-logo/
- PetaPixel, No, Elon Musk Didn’t Steal the New Twitter Logo from Nikon or Fujifilm – https://petapixel.com/2023/07/25/no-elon-musk-didnt-steal-the-new-twitter-logo-from-nikon-or-fujifilm
- The Star, US startup seeks to reclaim Twitter trademarks ‘abandoned’ by Musk’s X – https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2025/12/09/us-startup-seeks-to-reclaim-twitter-trademarks-039abandoned039-by-musks-x-
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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