Musk pushes new privacy-friendly XChat with encryption, vanishing messages
Elon Musk is pushing the launch of his social media platform’s new "XChat," touting upgraded security and privacy features such as end-to-end encryption and vanishing messages.
Image by Henry Franklin | Shutterstock
Elon Musk is pushing the launch of his social media platform’s new "XChat," touting upgraded security and privacy features such as end-to-end encryption and vanishing messages.
The X-owner posted about the new messaging feature, currently launched in beta, to his 220 million-plus X followers over the weekend, ramping up competition with WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
“All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages, and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio/video calling,” the controversial tech mogul wrote.
Musk also boasted of the XChat’s “whole new architecture,” which is “built on Rust with (bitcoin style) encryption.”
All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio/video calling.
undefined Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2025
This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, whole new architecture.
Most developers praise the Rust programming language, citing its stellar capabilities in performance, safety, and memory management.
XChat features
Eventually replacing Direct Messages, one of XChat’s main features is its end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which requires both the sender and recipient to be verified due to the private-public key cryptography behind it. Verification requirements include both individual users and organizations.
According to the platform, with XChat, “there’s no way for anyone, including X, to read your messages,” which will appear "as separate conversations, alongside your existing Direct Messages in your inbox."
Still, X users will have to choose the “state of the art” privacy features with a toggle on/off button, all of which will be protected by a personally chosen four-digit PIN code.
Besides its standard end-to-end encryption across all devices, one of the more interesting features to grab user attention is the XChat's vanishing messages.
Some have already shared screenshots of the feature, showing the user’s ability to set an individual message to disappear at various times, including five minutes, one hour, eight hours, one day, one week, four weeks, or not at all.
As for making audio and video calls, users will have the ability to do so “without a phone number across all platforms,” Musk said.
Additionally, the file transfer feature is said to allow users to share larger files than currently allowed, directly inside the message thread, including images, videos, and documents.
Copycats and "bitcoin" encryption already raising hackles
Of course, nothing Musk says is without controversy.
Automatically built into your X account, some users warned that at least one app named ‘XChat’ - no relation to Musk’s platform – is available for download on the Google Play store.
Others took issue with his description of the XChat infrastructure running on “Bitcoin-style” encryption.
“Bitcoin style? There's no encryption in Bitcoin! What makes him bring "Bitcoin style" into this announcement?” one X user questioned.
“Surely he must know the basics of Bitcoin technology. But he wouldn't mention it without some kind of reason,” they wrote.
Bitcoin style?
undefined J, 4% (@J_B_N_P) June 1, 2025
There's no encryption in Bitcoin!
What makes him bring undefinedBitcoin styleundefined into this announcement? Surely he must know the basics of Bitcoin technology. But he wouldn't mention it without some kind of reason 🤔
Either way, Musk said the new XChat, which has already given access to some accounts for early testing, should be available to all users sometime “this week if there are no scaling issues.”