XCancel, a website that lets people read X posts without an account, suspended service again on Sept. 14, TechCrunch reported on Sept. 15, 2026. The service’s own shutdown notice attributes the suspension to a new development in legal proceedings. Nitter, the open source software behind XCancel, had its GitHub repository archived three days earlier.
What are Nitter and XCancel?
Nitter is an alternative interface for viewing X posts, and XCancel is one of the services built on it. They offered readers a way to follow public posts without signing into X, TechCrunch explains.
The Nitter project describes software that displays posts without ads or requiring JavaScript. Requests pass through the service’s server, rather than connecting the reader’s browser directly to X.
What changed after X’s takedown demands?
XCancel suspended access, while Nitter’s owner archived the project’s code repository. Those are distinct changes: one stops a reader service; the other makes the repository read-only. XCancel’s notice and GitHub’s archive banner document their respective status.
Nitter’s project notice says X sent cease-and-desist letters on Aug. 24 demanding permanent removal of Nitter sites and the repository. Both Nitter and XCancel subsequently returned earlier in September, according to TechCrunch, before these latest setbacks.
Are Nitter and XCancel gone permanently?
A permanent end has not been established. XCancel says its suspension lasts until further notice, provides no return date and directs visitors to X. It does not explain the legal development behind the decision.
The Nitter README still contains an undated message saying the project would continue after legal advice. That statement sits alongside the Sept. 11 archive notice; it does not confirm that service has resumed. Nor does archiving the code establish the status of every separately operated Nitter site.
