X has launched its separate X Chat app after testing with beta users for a month, providing a platform for direct messaging and enhanced user interactions outside the main app.
The X Chat app is now available for iOS, claiming to operate without ads or tracking. Its App Store description states, “Privacy is the foundation. Every message is end-to-end encrypted with a key pair unique to you, protected by a PIN that never leaves your device.” The statement adds, “No one can read your conversation, not even X.”
However, skepticism surrounds these claims, as X has faced scrutiny over its encryption methods. In November 2022, software engineer David Nepozitek published findings detailing security flaws in X’s encryption system. He stated, “X Chat encrypts messages using a shared secret called a conversation key. This key is generated at the start of the conversation and then used to encrypt all messages in that conversation. The problem is that this conversation key basically never changes. That makes all the potential attacks way worse.”
Following the app’s launch announcement, the iOS development team Mysk criticized X Chat’s encryption claims, describing them as misleading. Mysk assessed that the encryption remains vulnerable to X as an entity, indicating that X retains the ability to access user messages.
Despite these security issues, X Chat offers users a new avenue to access their direct messages and engage in conversations distinct from the main X platform. This move may play a significant role in securing payments licensing, which is essential for X’s development into an all-in-one application.
X owner Elon Musk has outlined ambitions for an “everything app” that seamlessly integrates social media and financial services. Although the launch of X Chat could appear counterproductive to this vision by separating direct messages, its improved encryption could help alleviate regulatory concerns over data security related to payment information.
X Money’s launch has faced delays. Musk initially projected a late 2024 rollout but has since established a more definite launch date of April 2026. X has obtained payment transmitter approval in most U.S. states, but some jurisdictions have denied its application due to concerns about funding partners and ownership.
Without regulatory approval, X cannot roll out X Money in the U.S. and is not seeking to expand payment services to other markets until it secures a U.S. launch. The introduction of X Chat may be a strategic effort to gain regulators’ trust and progress towards future payment capabilities.
