X has launched XChat, a new messaging app for iPhone. This move takes one of the platform’s main features and makes it a separate product, signaling a shift away from the idea that everything should be in one big app.
XChat became available to the public on Friday and is currently only on iOS. Engadget also reported that the standalone messaging app is now live for iOS users.
A dedicated messaging app, not just a new tab inside X
TechCrunch says XChat allows users to connect with their X contacts for private messages, file sharing, audio and video calls, and group chats.
The company tested the app with a small group of beta users earlier this year. Now, with the public launch, X is clearly changing its strategy by moving private messaging out of the main social network and into its own iPhone app.
This move matters because it goes against Musk’s earlier idea that X would be an “everything app” with messaging, payments, content, shopping, and AI all in one place.
Launching XChat shows xAI and X are now building several separate apps instead of one big platform. For users, this means they now need another app to use a feature that used to be part of X.
Privacy promises are central to the pitch
X is promoting XChat as a privacy-focused app.
At launch, the app offers privacy features like editing and deleting messages for everyone in a chat, disappearing messages, and blocking screenshots. The company also says there are no ads or tracking, and claims all messages are end-to-end encrypted and protected by a PIN.
However, these security claims may be questioned. TechCrunch noted that some security experts had already challenged X’s encryption claims and warned early testers that XChat seemed less secure than well-known apps like Signal.
Now that XChat is widely available, experts will need to review the app again to see if it has improved.
XChat may also absorb parts of X’s struggling communities product
The new app isn’t just for direct messages.
Engadget reported that XChat will also become the new home for X’s Communities, which are being shut down due to low use and lots of spam. This change could help XChat gain users quickly, as people who used Communities move to the new app.
X’s lead designer Benji Taylor said this is just the start, calling XChat “just the beginning of what we’re building for messaging”. This suggests the launch is not just a side project, but the start of a bigger push to make private messaging a key part of X’s products.
A strategic split with bigger implications
Right now, the launch of XChat raises questions about X’s future direction. Making messaging a separate iPhone app could help X compete with WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram by focusing on communication features. But it also means X is moving away from Musk’s single-app vision.
Users now have one app for the timeline, another for private chat, and probably more apps coming soon.
