The “X” platform has officially announced the launch of its new standalone messaging app, named “X Chat,” making it publicly available starting Friday. This launch offers platform users an integrated communication experience separate from the main application. Initially, the app has been made available exclusively to iOS users, allowing them to easily and smoothly connect with their contacts on the X platform. The app combines various modern communication tools, enabling text messaging, file sharing, high-quality voice and video calls, and the creation and management of group chats that bring friends and coworkers together in a single space.
A beta phase to ensure performance quality
This launch was not an overnight event; it is the culmination of intensive efforts and a careful beta phase. The company began publicly testing “X Chat” with a small, selected group of users in an early access version earlier this year. The primary goal was to gather valuable feedback and gauge user opinions on the new experience to ensure a final product that meets public expectations and needs. This testing period helped developers improve performance and add the final touches to make the app a strong competitor in the crowded messaging app market.
A strategic shift in company vision
The “X Chat” app represents a key and central part of the company’s broader strategic vision, which views the main social network as a vital launchpad for offering additional, diverse services to users, such as standalone messaging or even electronic payment services. Notably, the payments feature is currently undergoing intensive testing as a standalone app as well, though it has not yet been rolled out to the general public. However, X management’s decision to spin off a major part of its core platform into a dedicated, standalone app marks a fundamental shift and tangible change from the previous plan laid out by owner Elon Musk. His initial ambitious goal was to transform the X platform into the so-called “everything app,” supposed to provide a single, unified place to access all services, including messaging, payments, creator content, shopping, artificial intelligence applications, and other integrated services.
New structure and task distribution
Instead of continuing with this unified approach, we now witness a new strategy embodied by xAI offering a comprehensive suite of separate applications to provide more diverse and targeted touchpoints for consumers. According to the structure mentioned in company reports, billionaire Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI now owns the X platform, which in turn is owned by another of Musk’s leading companies, the aerospace firm SpaceX. This trend toward unbundling services into specialized applications may give each service more room to grow, evolve, and precisely meet the needs of different user segments.
Advanced features and privacy protection
Upon launch, the “X Chat” app delivers a rich set of features aimed at enhancing the user experience with a strong focus on privacy and security aspects. Alongside messaging and call support, the app provides advanced tools giving users full control over their conversations. Among these prominent features are:
- Message control: The ability to edit messages after sending them, or even delete them entirely for all parties involved in the conversation.
- Disappearing messages: Support for automatically erasing messages after a specified time period.
- Content protection: The ability to block screenshots to prevent the leakage of sensitive information.
- Ad-free environment: The company confirms the absence of any advertisements or user data tracking mechanisms within the app.
Ongoing security questions
Regarding security and data encryption, the company claims that all messages exchanged via the app are end-to-end encrypted and protected by a PIN to ensure no third party can access them. However, these claims have sparked widespread debate, with several cybersecurity experts previously questioning the truth and reliability of the encryption claims made by the company. These experts warned potential users since the app’s first announcement that “X Chat” appeared less secure compared to other encrypted messaging apps known for their strict security, such as Signal. With the app now widely available to the public, these experts will need to thoroughly and comprehensively re-evaluate the dedicated app to see if the company has made necessary security improvements and plugged previously noted vulnerabilities.
The end of X Communities and future horizons
In addition to providing a secure environment for private chats and closed groups, the “X Chat” app takes an extra step to become the new and alternative destination for the “X Communities” feature, which the company has decided to shut down permanently. The reason for this closure is low usage and engagement from the public, alongside rising rates of spam and unwanted content within those communities. The timing of this closure announcement coinciding with the new app’s launch could give “X Chat” a strong boost and an early surge in installation numbers, as members of those communities will be forced to migrate to the new platform to continue their discussions.
The company’s ambitions do not stop there; according to X’s lead designer, Benji Taylor, many future updates are still planned, as he passionately stated in a comment:
“This is just the beginning of what we’re building in messaging.”
This leaves the door open in anticipation of more innovations in the near future.
FAQ
What is the “X Chat” app, and what system is it currently available on?
The “X Chat” app is a standalone messaging app from the X platform that allows users to conduct private chats, share files, and make voice and video calls. It has been launched to the public and is initially available on iOS devices.
What privacy-focused features does the app include?
The app includes multiple privacy protection features, including disappearing messages, the ability to edit and delete messages for everyone in a conversation, screenshot blocking, and end-to-end encryption protected by a PIN, in addition to being free of ads and tracking mechanisms.
Why are X Communities users being migrated to the new app?
The company decided to shut down the Communities feature in the main app due to low usage and high levels of spam, and instead, the new app will serve as an alternative destination for members of these communities to continue their discussions.
Is the “X Chat” app completely secure?
Despite the company’s assertions that messages are end-to-end encrypted, cybersecurity experts previously warned that the app appeared less secure than apps like Signal, and experts now need to re-evaluate it following its public release to verify security improvements.
