Elon Musk Announces X Chat Messenger with Bitcoin-Style Encryption

TLDR

• Elon Musk revealed plans to launch X Chat, a standalone messaging app expected within a few months that will also remain integrated within X
• The app uses peer-to-peer encryption similar to Bitcoin’s system and will not include advertising hooks that could compromise security
• Current X Chat beta is available to Premium subscribers with text messaging, file sharing, and media support
• Audio and video calling features are planned but not yet available in the current version
• Musk claims X Chat will be “the least insecure” messaging app by avoiding metadata collection pathways used for ad targeting

Elon Musk announced plans for X Chat, a new messaging platform that will launch as both a standalone app and integrated feature within X. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the announcement during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Friday.

X has rebuilt its entire messaging infrastructure from the ground up. The new system replaces the legacy direct message feature that existed on Twitter.

Encryption Approach Mirrors Bitcoin

Musk described X Chat’s encryption as using a peer-to-peer system similar to Bitcoin. He said the encryption is “very good” and currently undergoing thorough testing.

The standalone X Chat app is expected to launch within the next few months. Users will have the option to use either the standalone app or the integrated version within X.

Currently, X Chat is in beta testing for Premium subscribers. The beta version supports text messaging, photos, media attachments, GIFs, and file sharing.

All messaging is tied to X handles rather than phone numbers. Audio and video calling features are part of the planned feature set but are not yet available.

No Advertising Hooks in Design

Elon Musk emphasized that X Chat will not include what he calls “hooks for advertising.” He explained that these hooks create security vulnerabilities in competing messaging apps.

According to Musk, apps like WhatsApp collect enough information to target ads to users. This same pathway could potentially be exploited by hackers to access private messages.

WhatsApp’s parent company Meta states that messages are end-to-end encrypted using the Signal Protocol. This encryption covers messages, voice messages, media, and documents.

However, metadata such as who users chat with and conversation frequency is not encrypted. Backup copies of chat history are also not automatically encrypted on WhatsApp.

Musk argued that by eliminating advertising-related data collection, X Chat reduces potential attack surfaces. He framed security as existing in “degrees of insecurity” rather than being a binary state.

The goal is to make X Chat “the least insecure” messaging app available. This approach involves both strong encryption and minimal data collection.

X Chat will support text messaging, file sharing, and eventually audio and video calls. The dual distribution strategy allows users to choose between standalone and integrated experiences.

Musk stated that any information collected to serve targeted ads represents a security risk. By removing this business model component, X Chat aims to protect user privacy more effectively.

The messaging platform is designed to keep content encrypted end-to-end. The system also limits what the service needs to know about users by removing ad-targeting logic.

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