Elon Musk has officially launched XChat, a new encrypted messaging service embedded within his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), in a bold move to challenge established messaging giants like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
Announced over the weekend, XChat offers a suite of features aimed at redefining digital communication. These include end-to-end encryption, vanishing messages, cross-platform file sharing, and audio/video calling—all without the need for a phone number.
“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages, and the ability to send any kind of file,” Musk stated on Sunday via a post on X. “This is built on Rust with Bitcoin-style encryption and a whole new architecture. You can do audio/video calls without a phone number across all platforms.”
The feature represents a significant evolution from X’s traditional direct messaging tool and aligns with Musk’s broader vision to transform the platform into an “everything app”—a digital ecosystem for news, communication, payments, and more.
Industry analysts say the launch could disrupt the messaging space if XChat gains traction among users already active on the platform.