TL;DR
- New App: X is launching XChat, a standalone encrypted messaging app, on the Apple App Store on April 17.
- Key Features: XChat offers end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, disappearing messages, and built-in Grok AI assistance.
- Security Concerns: Security researchers have questioned the app’s encryption claims, and X previously acknowledged flaws in its encrypted chat rollout.
- Super App Strategy: XChat is part of Musk’s broader push to transform X into a WeChat-style super app with integrated payments and messaging.
X is launching XChat, a standalone encrypted messaging app, on the Apple App Store on April 17. The app separates X’s DM functionality into a dedicated platform, offering end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, disappearing messages, and built-in Grok AI assistance.
A standalone messaging app marks the most tangible step yet in Musk’s push to transform X into a WeChat-style super app, an ambition he has pursued since acquiring Twitter in 2022. With more than 500 million monthly active users on X, XChat enters a crowded messaging market dominated by WhatsApp, iMessage, and Signal.
XChat Features and Technical Foundation
XChat is built using Rust with what the company describes as a new architecture. Musk has publicly described the encryption as “Bitcoin-style.”
All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio/video calling.
This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, whole new architecture.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2025
This characterization that drew skepticism from experts who noted that Bitcoin uses public key cryptography and digital signatures rather than encryption in the traditional messaging sense.
Users can sign up without a phone number, a departure from WhatsApp and Signal which require phone number verification. X says the app will not track conversations, prohibits screenshots, and does not display ads. Only users with an existing X account can access the platform.
Group chats support up to 481 members, and a Grok AI integration allows users to long-press messages and select “Ask Grok” for real-time analysis. Grok uses an unencrypted copy of the selected message to process queries while keeping overall chats encrypted, creating an exception to the app’s encryption model.
Security Questions and Prior Concerns
Encryption claims arrive against a mixed track record. XChat began internal testing in May 2025 and entered public beta on iOS in March 2026. Initial rollout in mid-2025 was marked by platform instability and outages.
In November 2025, X replaced DMs with encrypted Chat but acknowledged key security flaws in the process. Security researchers have since raised questions about E2E encryption coverage across all features and legacy conversations.
Musk has framed the goal as creating the “least insecure” messaging platform rather than claiming absolute security. End-to-end encryption, when fully implemented, prevents third parties from reading messages. However, the Grok integration and unanswered questions about legacy chat migration create gaps in that promise. WhatsApp, by comparison, has used the Signal protocol for end-to-end encryption for a decade.
Super App Ambitions and Road Ahead
XChat is positioned as the core communications layer of Musk’s broader super app strategy. “If Twitter can reach or approach that level, that alone would be a success,” Musk told employees after acquiring the platform in 2022, referring to WeChat’s dominance as a combined messaging, payments, and services platform in China.
Building on that vision, X has already launched X Money payments with Visa, and XChat could serve as the channel through which peer-to-peer payments eventually flow. Premium subscribers unlock expanded capabilities like larger file transfers, while free users get basic access.
Initially, the April 17 launch is iOS-only, with no Android release date announced and desktop and group video calling expected in future updates. Whether XChat can gain traction against entrenched competitors with years of user trust and cross-platform availability will depend on how quickly X closes these platform gaps and addresses the lingering security questions.