Taking to X, lead designer Benji Taylor said, “Today we’re launching XChat, a standalone app for all your conversations on 𝕏. It’s fast, private, and just the beginning of what we’re building for messaging.”
As of now, XChat includes messaging and calling features along with several privacy-focused tools. These include options to edit or delete messages for everyone in a chat, disappearing messages, and a feature that blocks screenshots. The company says the app has no ads or tracking mechanisms.
X also claims that all messages are end-to-end encrypted and PIN-protected, although security experts have previously questioned the company’s encryption claims.
Along with private and group chats, XChat will now host X’s Communities feature as well, according to a TechCrunch report. The company has decided to shut down Communities due to low usage and high spam levels. This move could also help XChat gain early traction, as users transition to the new platform.
Owner Elon Musk has been promoting XChat as recently as last month, when he and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov raised concerns about WhatsApp’s privacy practices following a class action lawsuit in the United States.
The app fits into X’s broader strategic direction, where the platform is seen as a base for multiple services such as messaging and payments.
However, launching XChat as a separate app marks a shift from Musk’s earlier idea of building X into an “everything app” that would combine messaging, payments, creator tools, shopping, AI, and more in one place.
