WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram have another competitor. Musk has already released XChat on iOS. Android launch is coming soon
XChat, a separate messenger from X, launched on Friday on iOS.
XChat, a separate messenger from X, launched on Friday on iOS.
The new app allows users of Elon Musk’s social network to connect with their X contacts to exchange messages, files, audio and video calls, and group chats.
TechCrunch recalls that the company first began publicly testing XChat with a small group of beta users earlier this year.
The XChat app is a key element of the company’s strategic vision, which sees the social network as a launching pad for other services, such as messaging or payments (a dedicated payments app is also being tested, although it is not yet publicly available.)
At launch, XChat offers messaging and calling support, along with other features that supposedly achieve a significant level of security and privacy. There is the ability for senders to edit and delete messages for all chat participants, support for disappearing messages, and the ability to block screenshots. X claims that the app has no ads or tracking mechanisms.
The company also claims that all messages are encrypted and protected by a PIN, although security experts have previously disputed the company’s claims about encryption.
Previously, when the app was first introduced, security experts warned potential users that the XChat service appeared to be less secure than other encrypted messaging apps, such as Signal.
In addition to being able to hold private or group chats, XChat also becomes a new place for X communities, which the company decided to close due to underuse and a high amount of spam.
«The claim of end-to-end encryption depends on policy X, not mathematics.» What the experts say
Meanwhile, Forbes has gathered the opinions of several experts regarding the new messenger.
«XChat requires an X account, so your identity, device information, IP address, and behavior history on the parent platform are already part of the graph before you send your first message,» says Varun Badhwar, CEO and founder of Endor Labs.
He highlights two problems with the new messenger: «The keys are stored on X’s servers. X stores users’ private encryption keys on its own infrastructure, and they are protected by a four-digit PIN. X itself has admitted that this architecture could allow „a malicious insider or X itself“ to access conversations. This is a remarkable admission, and it means that the claim of end-to-end encryption depends on X’s policy, not mathematics.»
However, image metadata is not removed, and reports show that images sent via XChat retain GPS coordinates and camera details. «So even when the message content is encrypted, a shared photo could reveal your location,» he warns.
While XChat claims to encrypt message content, it collects «several types of data,» including metadata and usage activity, says Luke Dixon, a partner at Freeths who specializes in IT and data law.
This situation, he believes, has implications for user privacy. «For example, metadata shows who you communicate with, when, and for how long. Usage activity includes product interaction records, search history, and information that reveals how you use the app,» he comments.
Meanwhile, Neil Tucker, a privacy and data protection specialist at Netskope, claims that XChat shares account, usage and device data with third parties, including service providers, partners «and potentially advertisers.»
«This may include contact information, activity data, and communication metadata. The data may also be disclosed to authorities if required by law. Once the data is shared, users have limited visibility and control over how it is used, increasing the risk of profiling, tracking, and misuse,» explains Thacker.
Technology media wrote a year ago that Musk was creating a competitor to Telegram.
Company X was scheduled to launch XChat as a standalone app for iPhone and iPad on April 17.
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