Elon Musk’s XChat debuts on App Store ahead of official launch

Elon Musk has officially introduced XChat, a new messaging application that has appeared on Apple’s App Store ahead of its planned release.

The app is set to launch on April 17 for iPhone and iPad users, while availability on Android devices has yet to be confirmed.

XChat is positioned as a privacy-focused messaging platform, offering features such as end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, audio and video calls, and group chats.

The app also includes screenshot blocking, file sharing, and integration with Musk’s AI tool, Grok.

Unlike many messaging services, XChat does not require a phone number for registration, which aligns with its emphasis on user privacy.

Built as a standalone product separate from X (formerly Twitter), the app is developed using the Rust programming language and requires iOS 16 or later.

It is rated for users aged 17 and above and has a file size of approximately 175MB.

Musk has described the app’s security as “Bitcoin-style encryption,” referencing Bitcoin.

However, cybersecurity experts have questioned this characterisation, noting that Bitcoin’s cryptographic model is designed for transaction verification rather than secure private messaging.

Further scrutiny has arisen from Apple’s App Store privacy disclosures, which indicate that XChat may collect user data such as location, contact information, search history, and identifiers.

This appears to conflict with the app’s marketing claims of zero tracking.

Additionally, no independent security audit has yet been conducted, leaving its privacy assurances unverified.

As a result, while XChat presents an ambitious alternative in the messaging space, experts say its long-term credibility will depend on greater transparency and third-party validation.