Encrypted ‘XChat’ Finally Arrives: iPhone and iPad Users Can Pre-Order Now

X’s new standalone messaging app, XChat, is set to launch on iPhone and iPad on April 17. Users can already pre-order it through the Apple App Store. The app’s listing is live and shows off its design, icon, and features.

XChat’s arrival comes one week after reports first surfaced on April 10. X announced the app through its official account on the social media platform. The app has been in testing for roughly one year before this official rollout.

XChat is built specifically for private conversations. It works as a dedicated messaging platform that’s separate from the main X app. The idea is to give users a focused space just for chatting with others on X.

XChat is a standalone messaging app designed to keep private conversations separate from the main X platform.

The app comes with several privacy and security features. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the sender and receiver can read them. There are no ads or tracking included. Users can also block screenshots and send disappearing messages. Group chats and video calls are available too.

X’s official messaging around the app has leaned heavily on privacy. The company’s stated position is that “encrypted chats deserve their own app.” That framing suggests XChat is meant to feel safer and more private than typical messaging platforms. Enhanced privacy features are among the key aspects X highlights to distinguish XChat from competing messaging apps.

However, Apple’s App Privacy card for XChat tells a different story. It shows that the app does collect user data. That data is linked to user identity and includes things like location, contacts, user content, search history, and identifiers. This directly contrasts with the app’s no-tracking claims.

No pricing details have been mentioned in the App Store listing. It’s not yet clear whether XChat will be free or paid once it fully launches.

XChat is part of X’s broader efforts under Elon Musk’s ownership to expand the platform’s features. The app’s clean design and long testing phase suggest the company’s put real work into it. Broader tech developments, including discussions around AI implications, continue to shape the environment in which XChat is entering the market.

Still, questions about the data privacy discrepancy are likely to follow the app as it heads into its official release on Friday, April 17.