Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI has unveiled X Chat, a privacy-centered messaging platform integrated into the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The service positions itself as a secure alternative to established messaging apps like WhatsApp and Arattai, introducing enhanced privacy features and message control capabilities.
Elon Musk’s Announcement and Vision
Elon Musk announced the launch on X, writing: “X just rolled out an entire new communications stack with encrypted messages, audio/video calls and file transfer.” The tech billionaire also teased the upcoming launch of X Money “soon,” emphasizing his vision to transform X into an “everything app.”
End-to-End Encryption Features
X Chat prioritizes security through comprehensive end-to-end encryption covering all messages and file sharing, ensuring only senders and recipients can access communications. According to X’s help center documentation, “unlike before, group messages and media can now be encrypted,” though some metadata, including recipient information, remains unencrypted.
The platform introduces disappearing messages functionality, allowing users to edit, delete, or automatically remove messages after sending. Unlike WhatsApp, deleted messages vanish completely without leaving “this message was deleted” notifications.
Advanced Privacy Controls
X Chat includes screenshot protection capabilities, enabling users to disable screenshot functionality entirely. Additionally, users can activate notifications alerting them when someone attempts to capture their direct messages or group chats.
The platform promises zero advertisements and no user data tracking, appealing specifically to privacy-conscious users concerned about data collection practices common among mainstream messaging services.
Unified Messaging Experience
The service consolidates X’s existing inbox, merging legacy direct messages with the new Chat function into a single interface. Voice memo support is scheduled for future implementation.
Availability and Rollout
X Chat currently operates on iOS devices and web browsers through the DMs section on X. The company confirmed Android compatibility will launch soon, though no specific timeline was provided.
Market Context
The launch comes as messaging app privacy becomes increasingly scrutinized, with users seeking alternatives to platforms perceived as compromising data security. Notably, Zoho’s Indian messaging app Arattai has yet to implement end-to-end encryption, positioning X Chat competitively in the secure messaging space.
