Social network platform X (formerly Twitter) has begun testing an independent instant messaging application "xChat" on its iOS platform. This move marks a major adjustment in the strategic direction of Elon Musk, the owner of
According to an announcement on the X platform by X company product designer Michael Boswell, the first beta version of the standalone version of xChat was opened to early users on Monday through Apple's TestFlight platform. It was originally planned to recruit 1,000 testers, but the places were taken up within two hours of the announcement. Subsequently, Boswell announced that the test scale would be rapidly expanded to 5,000 people to meet the high market demand.
"We have been developing this independent xChat app for iOS in secret over the past few months," Boswell wrote. "We need users to use it, find problems and provide feedback." Screenshots shared by early test users show that the app uses the lowercase style of "xChat" on the brand logo, and the login interface is designed with a unique starry sky background, and the overall style is simple and smooth. Many experiencers said that compared with the main application X, the operating experience of the independent version is smoother and more efficient.
It is reported that xChat is essentially an upgraded version of X’s existing private messaging (DM) function, and its core selling point is to provide end-to-end encryption (E2EE) services. According to information confirmed by xAI’s chatbot Grok, xChat will seamlessly synchronize chat records with the existing X application and web version (chat.x.com) to ensure a consistent user experience. The app's age rating is set at 17+, consistent with the main app.
Foreign media said that the launch of independent applications is regarded as an important revision of Musk's X development strategy. Previously, Musk has repeatedly emphasized that he will build X into an all-inclusive super application and centralize all services. However, the independent emergence of xChat shows that Company X may realize that separating high-frequency communication functions from complex information flow, payment and other functions can better improve user stickiness and product focus.
It is worth mentioning that although Company X claims that xChat uses end-to-end encryption technology, the network security community is still cautious. Many security experts have warned that given X's past security record and architectural features, xChat may still be less secure than messaging applications designed for privacy such as Signal. It's unclear whether the release of the standalone app has fully addressed many of the concerns previously raised by the security community. (Qingyun)