XChat is intended to be a more robust version of X’s existing DM (direct messages) feature, which is a holdover from before Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.
BREAKING: X CHAT will support more advanced group chats and VANISHING MODE! pic.twitter.com/zgcS6qZy6y
— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) April 18, 2025
Some features that have been rumored to be part of XChat include group messages, end-to-end encryption, vanishing mode, the ability to mark messages as unread, and file sharing. Messages also appear to be secured behind a four-digit passcode.
X announced on Thursday that it was pausing work on its encrypted DM feature, which could be related to the impending release of XChat, since this new system would render the existing DM interface obsolete. Paid subscribers on X have had access to a limited version of encrypted messaging for two years.
In the years since he bought Twitter, Musk has spoken on numerous occasions about his ambitions to make a Signal-like messaging service embedded into X. If XChat really is gearing up for public use, then this news could represent Musk’s follow-through on that goal.