XChat rival arriving April 17
A new chat app called XChat is set to launch on April 17 and is positioning itself as a privacy‑friendly competitor with end‑to‑end encryption, an X login, and a no‑data‑selling stance. Observers see the launch as part of an evolving conversational‑commerce landscape that could give merchants alternative chat surfaces. (MarioNawfal/X post)
X is preparing to launch XChat, a standalone messaging app for iPhone and iPad, on April 17. (apps.apple.com) The App Store listing names X Corp. as the developer and shows XChat as a social networking app for iPhone and iPad. It appears in multiple country storefronts with the same app identifier and an April 17 release window. (apps.apple.com) The listing and launch coverage say XChat will offer end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, group chats, and disappearing messages. Coverage based on the App Store page also says access will require an X account, tying the app to X’s existing identity system. (9to5mac.com) Apple’s storefront data also shows the app’s early limits and reach: XChat is listed for iPhone and iPad, carries a 16+ age rating, and supports more than 45 languages. One App Store version lists a size of 175.8 megabytes and requires iOS 26.0 or later. (apps.apple.com) The launch adds a separate chat product to X’s main app, which already includes direct messages. That moves X closer to the “everything app” model Elon Musk has described since buying Twitter in 2022 and renaming it X in 2023. (technode.com) Messaging is one of the stickiest parts of that model because it keeps users inside one service for private conversations instead of pushing them to WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or iMessage. A standalone app also gives X a separate surface for future business messaging and merchant tools without forcing every interaction through the main social feed. (technode.com) XChat’s privacy pitch is already facing scrutiny. Lifehacker reported that while XChat is marketed as private, Apple’s App Store privacy disclosures say X Corp. may collect data including location, contacts, user content, search history, identifiers, usage data, and diagnostics. (lifehacker.com) That does not mean the encryption claim is false; end-to-end encryption protects message contents in transit, while app makers can still collect metadata and account information around the service. The practical question for users is not only whether chats are encrypted, but also what non-message data the app gathers and how X uses it. (lifehacker.com) For now, the clearest fact is the timetable: XChat is listed for release on Thursday, April 17. The next test is whether X can turn an App Store debut into a messaging network people actually use. (apps.apple.com)
