Elon Musk Launches Encrypted ‘XChat’ to Challenge Messaging Giants
Elon Musk has launched a trial version of XChat, a new private communication platform designed to be part of his long-term goal of transforming X into an “everything app.”
The rollout of XChat comes at a time when Meta-owned messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram are also working to enhance their end-to-end encryption services. While WhatsApp already offers this feature by default, Messenger and Instagram have yet to fully implement it.
The beta version of XChat is currently available to a select group of paid subscribers. The service offers end-to-end encrypted chats secured with a four-digit passcode and includes features such as bitcoin-style encryption, disappearing messages, and cross-platform audio-video calls. Notably, it does not require a phone number for registration.
In a post on X, Elon Musk described XChat as a “completely new” app that will compete with established messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
“This is built on a new architecture and uses encryption similar to the Bitcoin protocol,” he stated.
However, technical details of the encryption system have not yet been disclosed.
XChat is part of Musk’s broader vision to evolve X into a multifunctional platform similar to China’s WeChat. Future features planned for the app include messaging, payments, media sharing, and even dating services.
