Elon Musk’s X is preparing for the public launch of its own messaging app, XChat, following the completion of beta testing. The new application is positioned as an ultra-secure alternative to popular platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal.
NEWSROOM IN notes the key facts regarding the new project:
- Release date and availability. The official release of XChat in the App Store is scheduled for April 17. The application will be available for both iPhone and iPad. Rather than simply updating the direct messages (DM) feature within the X social network, developers are releasing a standalone app that allows communication with any X user across different devices.
- Security and privacy. Following Musk’s recent criticism of WhatsApp regarding privacy issues and vulnerabilities in Signal, XChat focuses on security features:
- End-to-end encryption. This is enabled by default, ensuring that no third party, including the platform itself, can read the correspondence.
- Screenshot blocking. Participants in a conversation are prevented from taking screenshots of the chat.
- Disappearing messages. For sensitive data, a strict timer allows messages to be automatically deleted after 5 minutes.
- No tracking. X states that XChat will not contain advertisements and the application will not track user activities.
- Key functions. In addition to standard text communication, XChat includes the ability to edit and delete sent messages, file sharing for any file type, audio and video calls, and group chats for up to 481 participants.
- Technical framework. Elon Musk stated that the application is built on a new architecture using the Rust programming language and “Bitcoin-style” encryption algorithms.
- Move toward a Super App. The launch of XChat is a step in Musk’s plan to transform X into a “super app” similar to China’s WeChat. The long-term goal is for the X ecosystem to cover services ranging from messaging to payments, investments, and bookings.
The launch comes at a time when user trust in Meta-owned WhatsApp is being tested and data protection concerns remain a priority. It has not yet been confirmed whether all features will be free or if certain functions, such as unlimited group calls, will require an X Premium subscription.
