After it was spotted in live testing by some users last week, X owner Elon Musk has now confirmed that a new version of what he’s calling “XChat” is now available to some X Premium subscribers, and coming to all paying X users this week.
The new version of X DMs is built on a whole new back-end architecture, which will enable X to build a more robust version of its thus far clunky encryption offering.
Musk says that the new XChat will feature:
- Full encryption by default
- Vanishing messages
- The ability to send file attachments
- Audio and video calls (without a phone number)
Musk says that the new service is built on “Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption”, offering a new level of security for X DM users.
Though, as many have pointed out, Bitcoin isn’t encrypted, and in fact, is almost the opposite, in that all Bitcoin transactons are viewable on the blockchain.
Which is kind of the point of decentralized currency, but regardless, the new version of X messaging is constructed on a new framework, which X says will provide all new opportunities to use your X messages for varying purpose.
And Musk’s confusion about Bitcoin could actually point to the broader aim of this update, in using this new messaging architecture as the backbone for X Payments.
X continues to work on its payments back-end, which will eventually (it hopes) enable users to transfer money, make purchases, and even replace their bank with their X account.
Elon’s “everything app” vision for the platform hinges on this element, and X is reportedly looking to launch the initial version of X Payments later this year.
I suspect that this new DM system will play a role in that, replicating how WeChat has become a critical tool in China to conduct all kinds of transactions via messaging infrastructure.
So will it become an all-encompassing utility, relied upon by millions to power their daily interactions and transactions in one singular platform?
Look, it’s hard to see this actually happening, based on various past efforts to implement a “Western WeChat” by other platforms, which have failed dismally at the first hurdle.
For whatever reason, Western consumers haven’t shown the same level of enthusiasm for all-in-one platforms like this, which have caught on in China, but maybe, Elon’s years of connection to the payments industry give him some additional insight into the potential on this front, and how to make it a more appealing option.
Though given that X has relatively few users compared to other social apps, and is losing them over time, I don’t see how it’s going to come together.
Either way, looks like we’re going to find out.
Elon says that the updated version of XChat will be rolled out to all X Premium subscribers this week (barring “scaling issues”).
