X shifts from 'everything app' vision with new XChat launch

XChat, a new stand-alone messaging app developed by X, launched to the public on Friday. Currently, the application’s scope is limited, as it is only available on iOS. This launch represents a significant strategic pivot for the social network, which is shifting away from its previous “everything app” plan. Under owner Elon Musk, the company’s original vision was to build a single, all-encompassing platform combining messaging, payments, creator content, shopping, and artificial intelligence. Instead of this unified approach, Musk’s AI company xAI—which owns X and is itself owned by Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX—is now offering a suite of dedicated apps to establish consumer touchpoints. Within this new framework, XChat is positioned as a key piece of the company’s strategic vision, serving as a dedicated destination for communication.

At launch, the app includes several features that X claims are privacy-protected. Users can edit and delete messages for everyone in a chat, set disappearing messages, and block screenshots. According to X, there are no ads or tracking mechanisms built into the application. The company also claims that all messages sent through the service are end-to-end encrypted and PIN protected. However, these security assertions have met with skepticism from industry observers. Verbatim, security experts have previously disputed the company’s encryption claims. Security experts have also warned that the XChat service appears to be less secure than other encrypted messaging apps, like Signal. These experts will need to evaluate the newly launched dedicated app to determine if X has made the necessary security improvements now that the service is broadly available.

Beyond standard messaging, XChat is also stepping in to serve as the new destination for X’s Communities. X has decided to shut down the Communities feature—which previously allowed users to gather in topical groups on the main social network—due to low usage and high volumes of spam. The timing of this transition could give XChat an early boost in installations as active community members migrate. More updates to XChat are seemingly still planned. According to X lead designer Benji Taylor, the launch of the app is “just the beginning of what we’re building for messaging.”

Why it matters

The launch of XChat marks a strategic pivot for X, moving away from the ‘everything app’ vision toward a suite of dedicated apps, while simultaneously replacing the company’s Communities feature.