Elon Musk just confirmed that the new messaging service on X (formerly known as Twitter) will be called ‘XChat’ and will replace the current Direct Messages (DMs) available. This move is part of Musk’s ambition to turn X into a super app like China’s WeChat.
What’s XChat?
It is meant to provide a more advanced chat client for users within the X Windowing System platform. Unlinke standard DMs, XChat brings along some improvements for privacy and communication efficiency.
Key Features of XChat
- End to End encryption: Messages are safe and can only be read by the sender and the recipient.
- Vanishing Mode: Lets messages disappear after they’re read, adding another layer to privacy.
- File Sharing: The facility to share different types of the file like PDFs. 5.
- Message Deletion for All: Now you can delete a message for everyone in a conversation, not just yourself
- PIN code lock: it implies additional safety for an individual as they can lock their chat interface now so that it can only be unlocked to a PIN code.
- Undo ‘Read’ Status: Includes the ability to remove the ‘read’ status, giving a customizable experience around messaging engagement.
These characteristics make XChat a rival to other well-known chat apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal…)
The Vision Behind The XChat
Musk’s attempt to replace DMs with XChat is part of his larger effort to merge a multitude of communication and social media features on a single platform. By building messaging directly into X, users can communicate without requiring another phone number or app. It’s another step in Musk’s quest to improve the experience and capabilities of X beyond just basic social media interactions.
User Reactions and Future Outlook
Some users have however been sharing their excitement for the updates, with others worried about moving from DMs to XChat. However, reaction to the long roll-out of XChat marks a key point in the development of X as a platform. It will be interesting to see how much traffic the new messaging system generates over time.
To conclude, XChat is indeed a major step in the development of X as a fully-featured digital ecosystem. By providing extra layers of security and incorporating highly functional messaging, XChat will revolutionize the way users interact with each other on the X network.
