X Launches XChat Standalone Messaging App for iOS with Privacy Features
App offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, file sharing, audio/video calls with no ads or tracking
En resumen
- X has launched XChat, a standalone messaging app for iOS featuring private/group chats, file sharing, audio/video calls, and privacy tools including message editing, disappearing messages, and screenshot blocking.
- The app claims end-to-end encryption with no ads or tracking.
- X is also moving its Communities feature to XChat after shutting it down due to low usage and spam.
Resumen generado por IA
Por qué importa
X (formerly Twitter) has been expanding beyond its core social media platform into additional services. The company previously envisioned X as an "everything app" combining messaging, payments, creator tools, and more. The launch of XChat as a separate app represents a strategic pivot. Communities, which was X's feature for group discussions, is being shut down due to low engagement and spam issues.
X has launched XChat, a standalone messaging app for iOS, offering private and group chats, file sharing, and audio/video calls. The app emphasises privacy with features like message editing and deletion for everyone, disappearing messages, and screenshot blocking, while claiming no ads or tracking.
X's standalone messaging app, XChat, was rolled out to the public on Friday. The app is currently available on iOS devices and lets users connect with their X contacts for messaging, file sharing, audio and video calls, and group chats.
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.
Qué observar
Perspectiva de IA — posibilidades, no hechos
XChat will expand to Android in the coming months
Probable · En meses
X will integrate more features into XChat to compete with Telegram
Posible · En meses
Preguntas abiertas
- Will XChat support Android devices?
- How will X monetize XChat without ads?
- What specific encryption protocol does XChat use?