X’s encrypted messaging feature, XChat, is now rolling out to a wider set of users. Originally launched in beta in May, the service is no longer limited to X Premium subscribers and is accessible to more of the platform’s global user base.
How XChat Works
XChat is designed as a separate inbox from the existing DM system and uses end-to-end encryption to secure conversations. Features include media sharing, group chats, pinned messages, and controls to mark messages as read or unread. A “vanishing mode” — which would automatically erase messages after a set time — is rumored to be under development.
On desktop, some users can find XChat under the messages tab, with a new “Chat” option above “Message requests.” On mobile, XChat appears in the left-hand navigation bar just above Communities.
Before sending messages, users must set up a four-digit code to protect conversations, similar to Signal’s security model. Encrypted chats are only available between users who both opt in to XChat.
While XChat provides stronger privacy protections, it does not fully replace X’s longstanding DM system. Standard DMs now appear under a tab labeled “unencrypted” within the chat menu, while XChat serves as the more secure alternative.
What The Author Thinks
The launch of XChat is a positive step for privacy, but it doesn’t solve the platform’s larger trust issues. Encrypted chats will appeal to a niche of users concerned with security, yet the majority of people will continue to default to existing DMs out of habit. Unless X can make XChat the seamless standard and ensure transparency about how encrypted data is handled, it risks becoming another underused feature that sounds good in theory but changes little in practice.
Featured image credit: BoliviaInteligente via Unsplash
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.