Elon Musk launched XChat

XChat is a separate service from X's existing direct messaging system, positioned as a "private, ad-free, and tracking-free" messaging tool designed for communication with other X users.  Developed in Rust, the app focuses on end-to-end encrypted messaging and is currently available exclusively on iOS.

The App Store description is straightforward: no ads, no tracking, and fully end-to-end encrypted, a pitch designed to attract users increasingly concerned about digital privacy.

Key Features

XChat offers features such as disappearing messages, audio and video calls, file sharing, and screenshot blocking. Notably, it does not require a phone number for registration; users can sign in directly with their existing X accounts. 

Integration with Grok, XAI's AI chatbot, has also begun appearing in XChat. Users can long-press messages and select "Ask Grok" for real-time analysis, though the AI uses an unencrypted copy of the selected message while keeping overall chats private.