Elon Musk unveils XChat: X’s answer to WhatsApp and Telegram
This launch is part of Musk’s bigger plan to turn X into a Western version of China’s WeChat—a one-stop app for everything from messaging and media to payments and even dating.
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Elon Musk has taken another step towards turning X (formerly known as Twitter) into an “everything app” with the launch of a new feature called XChat. Rolled out over the weekend, XChat offers private messaging with end-to-end encryption, file sharing, vanishing messages, and voice/video calling—bringing it closer to services like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
Musk shared the news on X, calling XChat “all new” and highlighting its secure and private design. He said it includes audio and video calling and uses encryption similar to Bitcoin, although no technical details were given about how the system works.
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.
The new feature is currently in beta mode and is available to some paid subscribers, according to TechCrunch. Screenshots from app researcher Nima Owji show that users can expect options like group chats, vanish mode (where messages disappear after viewing), and a passcode lock to protect messages. These changes suggest a complete revamp of X’s old direct messaging system.
This launch is part of Musk’s bigger plan to turn X into a Western version of China’s WeChat—a one-stop app for everything from messaging and media to payments and even dating. He’s previously said he wants X to become a digital bank and a dating app by 2024.
Musk isn’t the only one chasing the dream of an all-in-one app. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is working on a similar idea with his project called World, which recently introduced its own app store and biometric ID system called Orbs.
Still, X may have the upper hand—for now. With around 600 million monthly users as of late 2024, Musk’s platform already has a large audience. By adding secure messaging and new communication tools through XChat, Musk is hoping people will start using X not just for tweets, but as part of their everyday digital life.