Elon Musk’s X is set to launch a new standalone messaging app, XChat, on April 17, entering the crowded market of encrypted messaging services dominated by platforms such as WhatsApp.
The app will initially be available only on iPhone and iPad, with no Android version in the first phase. It will support 46 languages, including Hebrew, and will require users to have an X account, without the need for a phone number to sign up.
According to details published on Apple’s App Store, XChat will offer end-to-end encryption, no advertisements and no user tracking, positioning itself as a privacy-focused alternative to existing messaging platforms.
The app features a minimalist interface similar to competing services and includes voice and video calls, including large group chats of up to 481 participants. Users will also be able to send documents, edit or delete messages, set messages to disappear after a defined period and block screenshots to enhance privacy.
The launch is part of Musk’s broader effort to turn X into a “super app,” integrating multiple services into a single platform. The company has previously signaled plans to expand into financial services, including peer-to-peer payments, which could put XChat in competition not only with messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram but also with financial platforms.
XChat is already listed on Apple’s App Store and is available for pre-registration. Early screenshots suggest a design similar to Apple’s iMessage, with a focus on media content and dedicated sections for voice messages.
The launch comes as WhatsApp faces a class-action lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in California, alleging that its parent company Meta and consulting firm Accenture intercepted private user messages and shared them with third parties despite claims of end-to-end encryption.
The plaintiffs, representing a nationwide group of users, claim a “backdoor” in the app allowed Meta employees and external contractors to access messages.
Meta has denied the allegations, calling them “false and absurd,” and said WhatsApp has used the Signal encryption protocol for years, ensuring that only senders and recipients can read messages.
Competitors have seized on the lawsuit. Musk said Meta cannot be trusted and promoted XChat as offering “real privacy,” while Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized WhatsApp’s encryption claims, calling them misleading.