X Releases Standalone Messaging App XChat, Initially for iOS

XChat, X’s standalone messaging app, launched to the public on Friday, initially available on iOS devices. The app allows users to connect with their X contacts for messaging, file sharing, audio and video calls, and group chats. The company first began publicly testing XChat with a small group of beta users earlier this year to get their feedback about the new experience.

At launch, XChat offers support for messaging and calling, along with privacy-protected features including the ability to edit and delete messages for everyone in the chat, support for disappearing messages, and the ability to block screenshots. X claims there are no ads or tracking mechanisms in the XChat app.

The company also claims all messages in XChat are end-to-end encrypted and PIN protected.

Security experts warned potential users that the XChat service appears to be less secure than other encrypted messaging apps like Signal when the app was first introduced. They will need to evaluate the dedicated XChat app again now that it is broadly available to assess if improvements have been made.

XChat serves as the new destination for X’s Communities, which X has decided to shut down due to lack of use and high amounts of spam.

The timing of this shutdown could give XChat an early boost in new installs as community members transition over. In addition to private chats and group chats, the app positions itself as a hub for these migrated communities. XChat is a key piece to the strategic vision for X, which sees the social network as a jumping-off point for other services like messaging or payments.

X is testing a dedicated payments app, though it is not yet available publicly. This move represents a shift away from owner Elon Musk’s earlier plan to make X an “everything app” that would provide a single place for messaging, payments, creator content, shopping, AI, and more. Instead, the company is now offering a suite of apps to provide more consumer touchpoints with its services.

This approach requires multiple apps to access core products, contrasting with the original unified vision. TechCrunch described the launch as part of broader updates, with the design team producing promotional videos for the rollout.