Elon Musk unveils 'secure' XChat to rival WhatsApp
These upgrades aim to position X as a serious challenger to dominant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, especially as XChat works without requiring phone numbers, making it more appealing to privacy-focused users.
Elon Musk has introduced XChat, a powerful new messaging tool embedded within the X platform.
With privacy concerns growing globally, XChat promises to put user security front and centre, and it is already rolling out to Premium users worldwide.
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Designed with “Bitcoin-style” encryption, XChat is built to secure messages so that even the platform cannot read them.
While Bitcoin’s blockchain is not technically end-to-end encryption, Musk uses the comparison to highlight the cryptographic integrity and decentralisation ethos of the new feature.
“We’re building messaging for the future, secure, private, and user-controlled,” Musk wrote in a recent post.
Unlike traditional direct messages, XChat requires users to activate the service and set a four-digit passcode.
This extra authentication step means even if someone gains access to your X account, they cannot read your private chats without the code, a significant departure from the platform’s previous security model.
XChat’s features go beyond encryption. Users can now send vanishing messages that disappear after a set time, make audio and video calls without linking a phone number, share files and multimedia securely, and access conversations across devices while retaining full encryption.
These upgrades aim to position X as a serious challenger to dominant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, especially as XChat works without requiring phone numbers, making it more appealing to privacy-focused users.
Musk has long hinted at building a “super app”, a single platform that combines communication, payments, shopping, and social networking, much like China’s WeChat.
Experts say encrypted messaging and multi-layer authentication are essential foundations for that vision, especially if peer-to-peer payments and e-commerce features are on the horizon.
For now, XChat is being tested with Premium users, with a broader rollout expected later this week worldwide. Users are advised to update the X app to the latest version and look out for an activation prompt.
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