Elon Musk continues to push X, formerly Twitter, toward his long-touted vision of an “everything app.” The latest step is the rollout of XChat, a rebranded expansion of the platform’s direct messaging features. Rather than launching a separate product, XChat is being integrated directly into the existing app, aiming to position X more competitively against established messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram.
All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio/video calling.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2025
This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, whole new architecture.
Among the most notable additions are vanishing messages, support for larger file sharing, and new options for both audio and video calling. These upgrades bring the platform closer to full-service communication tools already standard in other apps. Musk claims these features are already rolling out to users, though access appears to be limited to those with an active premium subscription to X. As of now, the company hasn’t confirmed whether any of the features will become available to free users.
Encryption also plays a key role in the updated XChat framework. Encrypted messaging has existed on X for premium subscribers for the past two years, but the system was recently paused to make way for this new iteration. Musk stated that the upgraded encryption is built using Rust and inspired by “Bitcoin-style” cryptography. While the reference to Bitcoin may sound technical, it’s worth noting that Bitcoin itself doesn’t use end-to-end encryption, which is a standard among privacy-focused apps like Signal. Instead, Bitcoin uses elliptic curve cryptography and SHA-256 hashing—techniques that may have influenced the new architecture without being directly replicated.
Some users who received early access noted additional privacy options, including a four-digit passcode to lock their chats. This suggests XChat may eventually offer more granular controls for privacy and security, though full details have yet to be released.
While these updates reflect a clear ambition to move X into the private messaging space, they also raise questions about access and transparency—particularly around encryption standards and paywalled features. If the rollout gains traction, it could reshape how users engage with the platform, transforming X from a social media site into a hybrid of social networking, news, and secure messaging.
