Elon Musk’s “XChat” Exists, But It’s Not the Standalone App

A claim widely circulated on social media asserts that Elon Musk has introduced XChat, a groundbreaking platform designed to revolutionize private communication. Our investigation shows that while XChat does exist, some of the more technical marketing claims are misleading or overstated.

Social Media Posts

Viral posts portray XChat as a standalone platform representing the “future of private communication.” These posts often emphasize that the service is powered by a “Bitcoin-style encryption model” and highlight its independence from phone carriers, cross-platform functionality, and ability to handle any file type.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive 

Source | Archive

Fact Check

Core Features and Announcement

Elon Musk did indeed announce XChat in June 2025. However, it is not a standalone application but a major update to the direct messaging system within the X platform. According to reporting from TechCrunch, XChat was framed as an integrated service that expands the messaging capabilities of X to include encrypted chats, file sharing, and calling features.

Forbes and Yahoo Finance also confirmed that XChat supports end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and voice and video calls without requiring a phone number. The platform is built using the Rust programming language, which Musk praised for its security and efficiency benefits. At launch, early access was given to X Premium subscribers, with promises of a wider rollout in the future.

Security and Technical Claims

One key controversy around XChat is Musk’s claim about its “Bitcoin-style encryption.” This term has confused many experts because Bitcoin doesn’t actually encrypt conversations – it uses public key cryptography for verifying transactions. According to reports from Cointelegraph and Coindesk, XChat uses standard encryption methods rather than blockchain technology. This suggests that the “Bitcoin-style” description is more marketing language than technical reality.

Security experts have identified other concerns with XChat. CyberInsider reported that the platform uses a basic four-digit PIN for security, which is considered insufficient for a high-security messaging service. Additionally, its disappearing messages feature offers only preset time intervals (five minutes, one hour, or eight hours), similar to what Signal and Snapchat already provide (Yahoo Finance). Claims about XChat following “blockchain principles” lack supporting technical evidence, and Global Brands Magazine has pointed out that unlike true blockchain systems, XChat isn’t transparent, decentralized, or independently verifiable.

Comparison with Existing Messaging Apps

Although Musk and viral posts described XChat as groundbreaking, many of its highlighted features are already common in established messaging apps. End-to-end encryption has long been a default in platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal, while disappearing messages and preset timers are standard features in Signal, Telegram, and Snapchat. As Forbes noted, XChat’s promise to rival WhatsApp depends less on introducing new technology and more on Musk’s ability to integrate these features effectively into the X ecosystem. In this context, while XChat represents a notable upgrade for X users, it is not the revolutionary innovation suggested by promotional language.

Cross-Platform Functionality and Expanded Features

Regarding functionality, XChat delivers what was promised. It works across Android, iOS, and web platforms (Binance). Users don’t need to provide phone numbers, which improves privacy and reduces reliance on phone carriers (QNA). The platform allows sharing various file types including documents, images, and videos with generous size limits (Forbes). While these features match what Musk and viral posts described, the security claims remain questionable.

Availability and Early User Feedback

As of September 2025, XChat remains in a limited rollout phase. The feature is currently accessible only to X Premium subscribers in selected regions, and a full launch for all users has not yet been confirmed (Economic Times). Early feedback suggests that disappearing messages work but are limited to preset intervals, while some users have raised concerns about the reliance on a four-digit PIN for login, which they argue undermines the app’s claims of strong security (CyberInsider).

Expert Concerns on Security

While Elon Musk promoted XChat as offering “unmatched peace of mind,” cybersecurity experts have expressed doubts about how secure the system truly is. Several analyses have pointed out that although Musk described the service as following “Bitcoin-style encryption,” XChat does not actually operate on blockchain technology. Unlike a real blockchain network, which is transparent, decentralized, and independently verifiable, XChat remains a closed system with no third-party auditing.

Global Brands Magazine noted that the platform lacks the transparency and auditability that true blockchain-based services provide, raising questions about whether its security can be independently validated. Similarly, Coindesk reported that experts view Musk’s description as marketing language rather than an accurate technical explanation. Without open-source documentation or independent security reviews, it is difficult to confirm whether XChat delivers more than standard cryptographic protections already common in other messaging apps.

Conclusion

Based on our investigation, we can conclude that Elon Musk did launch XChat as a messaging platform within X, but many claims about its revolutionary nature and security features appear to be exaggerated and remain questionable. While XChat does offer end-to-end encryption and some notable features like carrier independence, many of its capabilities are already standard in other messaging apps. The “Bitcoin-style encryption” terminology appears to be marketing language rather than an accurate technical description, with no evidence that the platform actually implements blockchain technology for security.