X has unveiled Chat , an upgrade to the platform's instant messaging service that offers encryption for more protection . The new feature also includes support for video and voice calls , disappearing messages , and file sharing.
The company announced the feature on Friday, and it's already available on iOS and the web , with an Android version expected "soon." It essentially replaces X's existing messaging system, though old messages will have to be migrated.
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X Chat: Enhanced messaging with E2EE encryption
X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, says it supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for both messages and files. However, the support page notes that it doesn’t cover message metadata — like who received them or when they were sent. There’s also no protection against man-in-the-middle attacks, with the company admitting that if “a malicious insider or X itself” were to breach an encrypted conversation, there would be no way for users to know (though ways to verify the authenticity of messages and device identity are coming soon).
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Other privacy features include disappearing messages, which can be set to automatically delete after a set period of time. There are also options to allow the user to receive a notification when a conversation is screenshotted or to block screenshots altogether. Messages can be edited and deleted, and voice and video calls are supported, with voice memos coming in the future.
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X — formerly known as Twitter — first introduced encrypted DMs in 2023, before discontinuing the feature in May to work on “improvements.” These appear to have arrived with the new messaging system!
