XChat, the standalone app for messaging on X, is available on iOS now
Source: Engadget
Overview
XChat, the standalone app for accessing X’s messaging feature, is now available for download on iOS. While X previously hinted at removing direct messaging in 2025, the functionality remains accessible through the original X app, the web, and this new dedicated app.
Features
- Delete and edit messages
- Block screenshots
- Send disappearing messages
- Video and audio calls
- End‑to‑end encryption for all messages
Group Chats
XChat is positioned to become the hub for groups that previously used X’s Communities feature, which is being retired at the end of May. Current group chats can host up to 350 participants, with plans to increase this limit in the future.
Context
Elon Musk’s original vision for X after rebranding Twitter was an “everything app” that would combine an algorithmic feed, messaging, job boards, payments, and more. A separate messaging app may seem contrary to that vision, but it reflects X’s current direction in 2026. The platform is now a subsidiary of xAI, which itself is part of SpaceX, and Musk’s focus appears to be shifting toward AI initiatives rather than replicating a WeChat‑style ecosystem.
The everything app, which requires 3 apps to use the core product.
— camol (@camolNFT) April 23, 2026
