Billionaire Elon Musk is pushing forward his ambition to transform X (formerly Twitter) into an “everything app” with the launch of XChat, a new messaging feature designed to rival the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
Unveiled over the weekend, XChat introduces end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, file sharing, and audio/video calling.
Musk described the tool as “all new” in a post on Sunday, emphasizing its focus on secure, private communication.
“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages, and the ability to send any kind of file.
“This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, a whole new architecture. You can do audio/video calls without a phone number across all platforms,” Elon Musk posted.
Early reports suggest the feature is already in beta testing among paid X subscribers. Leaked screenshots by app researcher Nima Owji show support for group chats, a vanish mode, and a four-digit passcode to lock messages, a significant upgrade to X’s previous direct messaging capabilities.
The bigger picture
XChat is part of Musk’s long-term goal of morphing X into a Western super app, similar to China’s WeChat.
This vision encompasses everything from messaging and payments to entertainment, commerce, and even dating.
Musk previously told employees he wants X to function as a digital bank and dating app by 2024, part of a sweeping transformation that could change how users engage with the platform.
He’s not alone in this race. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also building a “super app” through his side project, World, which recently launched an app store and biometric ID system called Orbs.
What you should know
With 600 million monthly active users as of October 2024, Musk’s X holds a considerable lead but retaining that user base is critical.
The rollout of XChat could help the platform move beyond just being a public town square and into users’ everyday digital routines.
Last year, X unveiled plans to roll out a peer-to-peer payment system on the platform, saying it would unlock more user utility and new opportunities for commerce.
- The company said this would also showcase the power of the platform users living their “life in one place.”
- Reports have indicated that as of December 2023, X was licensed for payment processing in a dozen U.S. states, and by this January, that number stands at 14, with the recent additions of Arkansas and Pennsylvania.
- Musk had earlier said that he envisions a platform where users will be able to send money to others and extract those funds to authenticated bank accounts.
