What's happening: X users can now download XChat, a standalone app focused entirely on direct messaging and group conversations. The app brings together messaging features that were previously scattered across X's main platform, web interface, and original DM system. For now, messaging still works in all three places, but XChat appears to be X's long-term direction for this feature.
What you get: XChat includes modern messaging conveniences like end-to-end encryption, the ability to edit or delete messages, disappearing messages, and video/audio calling. The app also supports group chats with up to 350 participants—a meaningful alternative now that X is shutting down its Communities feature at the end of May. X plans to expand group capacity further down the line.
The bigger picture: When Musk rebranded Twitter to X, he promised an "everything app"—a single place for social feeds, messaging, job boards, payments, and more. A separate messaging app seems to contradict that vision entirely. However, X's corporate structure has shifted dramatically. The platform is now owned by xAI, which itself is part of SpaceX. With Musk's focus pivoting heavily toward artificial intelligence, the ambitious all-in-one app concept appears to have taken a back seat to more immediate priorities.
