Elon Musk Unveils XChat with Encryption and Multimedia Features

Elon Musk recently introduced XChat, an upgraded Direct Messaging (DM) feature on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This new messaging service is designed to enhance user communication by incorporating advanced features such as vanishing messages, end-to-end encryption, file sharing, and support for audio and video calls.

Currently, XChat is in beta testing with a limited user group, but Musk has expressed confidence that it will be available to all users within the week, barring any scaling challenges during deployment.

One of the most notable technical details Musk shared is that XChat is built using the Rust programming language, known for its performance and safety benefits. Additionally, he described the encryption as “Bitcoin-style,” which sparked debate among experts since Bitcoin itself uses public key cryptography rather than traditional encryption.

This terminology has led to questions about whether Musk’s description is marketing-driven or a misunderstanding of cryptographic principles. Despite this, the ambition is clear: to position XChat as a competitor to established encrypted messaging platforms like Signal and iMessage.

Beyond encryption, XChat enables users to make audio and video calls without requiring a phone number, enhancing privacy and cross-platform accessibility. This feature aligns with modern communication trends that prioritize seamless multimedia interactions.

However, the rollout comes amid recent instability issues on X, including outages that affected timeline browsing and messaging features. These challenges highlight the complexities of scaling new communication technologies on a large social platform.

For developers and tech leaders, XChat’s launch underscores the importance of robust architecture and clear cryptographic standards when building secure messaging services. The use of Rust suggests a focus on performance and memory safety, while the encryption approach will likely evolve as the platform matures.

As XChat moves beyond beta, monitoring its adoption, security claims, and user experience will be critical for assessing its potential to disrupt the encrypted messaging market.