Elon Musk has introduced a new private messaging tool called XChat, aiming to change how users communicate on his platform X.
The feature includes vanishing messages, audio and video calls, file sharing, and a type of “bitcoin style” encryption.
Currently available to beta testers, XChat is being positioned as a modern alternative to X’s traditional direct messages (DMs).
XChat looks and feels more like apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, offering familiar tools with a new privacy-focused twist.
“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file,” Musk said.
He also confirmed that users can make calls without needing a phone number, and that the tool is built using the Rust language.
Since buying Twitter in 2022 and renaming it to X, Musk has said he wants to make X into an “everything app.”
His long-term goal is to follow the path of WeChat in China, offering social features, payments, and an online marketplace.
Screenshots shared by app researcher Nimo Owji showed vanishing messages can be set to disappear after 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
Disappearing messages were made popular by Snapchat but are now common across most major messaging platforms.
Despite the hype, some experts question Musk’s claim of “bitcoin style” encryption, saying it misunderstands how bitcoin works.
“Bitcoin mostly uses signatures, not encryption,” noted Ian Miers, a computer science professor, criticising the term on X.
