X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, has announced the launch of XChat, a standalone messaging application. The app is listed on the Apple App Store and is scheduled to be available for download on April 17 for iPhone and iPad. Users can currently pre-order the app, which will automatically download upon release.
XChat will require an existing X account for access. The initial release is limited to iOS devices; no Android version has been announced.
Key Features
According to descriptions from X and the App Store listing, XChat will offer the following features:
- End-to-end encrypted messaging and calling
- Audio and video calling
- Document sharing
- Group chats accommodating up to 481 members
- Message editing and deletion for all participants
- Option to block screenshots
- Disappearing messages that can be set to vanish within five minutes
The App Store listing states the app will not contain advertisements and will not track users. Apple's press release described XChat as "a private, focused space built for conversation."
Background and Development
The app has been in testing since the previous year. In mid-2025, Elon Musk, chief of X, discussed plans for an upgraded direct messaging feature for the platform, stating it would be encrypted and have a "whole new architecture." Musk stated in June 2024 that all X users would receive XChat.
Sources reported that X previously indicated it would remove direct messaging from its main app in 2025. The launch of a standalone messaging app follows earlier suggestions by Musk that X would function as an "everything app" with messaging, job boards, payments, and an algorithmic feed. As of 2026, X is a subsidiary of xAI, which is part of SpaceX.
Privacy Considerations
Some X users have raised questions about the app's privacy policy, noting it lists the collection of personal information including location, contact lists, search history, and user profiles. Other users questioned how this data collection aligns with the app's stated privacy focus.
Earlier this month, Musk made statements on X criticizing the privacy policy of WhatsApp. WhatsApp responded to those claims. Unlike XChat, competing messaging applications WhatsApp and Signal do not require users to have accounts on separate platforms.
XChat enters a market with established messaging platforms including WhatsApp and Signal.
Market Position
According to multiple sources, it remains uncertain whether XChat can attract enough users to compete with these established platforms.