Media

Elon Musk's X launches WhatsApp Rival XChat

Published JUN 3 2025

Story

Above: Elon Musk in the White House on May 30, 2025. Image credit: Francis Chung/Contributor/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

In an X post Sunday, Elon Musk announced the launch of XChat, an encrypted messaging platform integrated into X, which will begin rolling out this week with features including vanishing messages, file-sharing capabilities, and audio/video calling without requiring phone numbers.
X
X
Forbes
The messaging service utilizes what Musk describes as "Bitcoin-style" encryption built on the Rust programming language. Bitcoin uses cryptography and digital signatures rather than traditional encryption.
CoinDesk
TechCrunch
XChat is part of Musk's ongoing development of X into an "everything app," similar to China's WeChat, which combines social media, messaging, and planned financial services under one platform, following his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in October 2022.
Forbes
Business Insider
The feature is currently available to select X premium subscribers in beta testing, with messages secured behind four-digit passcodes and expanded group chat functionality compared to X's previous direct messaging system.
TechCrunch
PCMAG
Adweek
Musk has previously criticized Meta-owned WhatsApp as insecure and expressed intentions to make X's messaging capabilities resemble Signal's encrypted platform, positioning XChat as a competitor to established messaging services.
Forbes
PCMAG
Adweek
The rollout follows X's temporary pause of its existing encrypted direct messaging feature last week, which had been available to paid subscribers since May 2023, as the platform prepared infrastructure improvements for XChat's launch.
Business Insider
PCMAG

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

XChat is a revolutionary leap in digital privacy and security. The Bitcoin-inspired encryption offers unbreakable protection that surpasses that of WhatsApp and other mainstream platforms, such as Signal and Telegram. This innovation positions X as the ultimate privacy-focused communication hub for users who value true digital sovereignty.

Cointribune

Techno-skeptic narrative

Elon's "Bitcoin-style encryption" label raises serious doubts about XChat's actual security model. Bitcoin doesn't use encryption for privacy — it uses digital signatures and hashing to ensure transparency, not confidentiality. Framing it as a model for secure messaging is either a misused buzzword or a fundamental misread of cryptographic design. For users considering a switch, that confusion adds another barrier to trust and adoption.