XChat messaging app rolls out on iOS with privacy and encryption claims

After getting rid of direct messages last year, X has announced that it is about to launch a standalone messaging app designed with user privacy in mind. The app, XChat, has just rolled out on iOS and requires iOS 26.0 or later.

Earlier this year, X confirmed that it was beta testing XChat with a group of selected users. The app integrates with the X social media platform and lets users chat with their contacts. XChat comes as an alternative to X’s DM feature and claims to offer enhanced security and privacy.

According to XChat’s announcement on X, all chats on the app are end-to-end encrypted, and users can also send disappearing messages. XChat supports group chats with up to 500 members and allows for audio and video calls, as well as file sharing. Users can also edit messages after they’ve been sent and block screenshots to keep things more private.

This week, X confirmed that it is shutting down Communities due to a surge in spam, adding that XChat will serve as the new home for Communities members. Admins can create group chats on XChat and share joinable links on the Timeline, allowing other users to easily join their groups. XChat’s group chats currently support up to 500 participants, though this limit may increase to 1,000 members in the coming weeks.

Elon Musk has long been a critic of Meta and its messaging app, WhatsApp, particularly when it comes to privacy and chat encryption. He has also advised users to avoid WhatsApp and use XChat instead. The billionaire recently backed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s claims about WhatsApp's security issues.

On the other hand, XChat claims that it contains no ads and does not track users. However, it remains to be seen how these privacy claims will hold up in practice. A standalone messaging app also contrasts with Musk’s previous claims that he intends to turn X into an everything app.