Elon Musk’s X Rolls Out XChat with Encrypted Messaging, Vanishing Texts, and File Sharing

Elon Musk is once again steering his social media platform X in a bold new direction with the launch of XChat, a revamped messaging service promising Bitcoin-style encryption, disappearing messages, and the ability to send virtually any kind of file. The feature, still in its beta testing phase, was announced by Musk himself in a series of posts over the weekend.
“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file,” Musk shared on X. The new tool also includes audio and video calling, marking a major upgrade to X’s existing direct messaging system. Notably, Musk emphasized that XChat will allow users to communicate without linking a phone number, supporting cross-platform functionality—another step toward increased privacy and flexibility.
According to Musk, XChat has been developed using the Rust programming language and is built on a completely new architecture, a departure from previous systems. Its "Bitcoin-style encryption" suggests a blockchain-inspired, secure approach to data protection, although full technical details have not yet been disclosed.
The announcement comes shortly after X temporarily disabled encrypted DMs, citing internal improvements. On May 29, the company noted the pause was to implement updates. It now appears this short break was laying the groundwork for the XChat rollout.
While the company hasn't yet published a formal blog post or FAQ, tech insiders and app researchers have been tracking the development of the new feature. Reverse engineer Nimo Owji had already spotted signs of XChat in April, posting screenshots of a “vanishing mode” that offers customizable message timers ranging from five minutes to 24 hours.
According to TechCrunch, the beta version of XChat is currently available to a small group of early testers. There’s no confirmed release timeline for a wider launch or clarity on which features might remain exclusive to premium users. Still, many on the platform are already sharing sneak peeks and impressions.
X first introduced encrypted messaging in May 2023, though it was limited to paying subscribers. Under Musk’s leadership, the platform has increasingly shifted key features behind a paywall, including SMS-based two-factor authentication. Now, XChat seems poised to further expand premium capabilities while also aligning with Musk’s larger vision for the platform.
The rollout of XChat ties into Musk’s grander ambition of transforming X into an “everything app” akin to China’s WeChat. Musk has previously stated his goal is for X to support messaging, payments, dating, and even banking—all under one roof. During a company-wide meeting last year, he outlined plans for X to eventually function as both a digital bank and a dating platform.
In separate news, X recently faced a significant outage on May 31 across the United States. More than 34,000 user complaints were logged on Downdetector, primarily from mobile app users. Some users reported being shown welcome screens as though signing in for the first time. Just days earlier, similar issues had affected users in India.
With the launch of XChat, X continues to evolve rapidly under Musk’s direction, pushing boundaries in communication, privacy, and the broader social media experience.