X launches standalone X Chat app in limited iOS beta

Elon Musk’s X has launched a standalone version of its private messaging service, X Chat, introducing a new way of communication. The tech giant released the first beta of the app to 1,000 users via TestFlight on iOS.

The beta reached full capacity within two hours. xAI Product Designer Michael Boswell says that X plans to expand this innovation access to other users soon but did not provide a specific timeline.

X Chat app features

X Chat is an advanced form of X’s current direct message service, which the company claims is end-to-end encrypted. However, the service has previously been the subject of debate among security experts on how much it is actually protecting its users compared with other apps like Signal. It is not yet clear if the concerns were addressed for the standalone app.

The change seems to signal a change of direction away from Elon Musk’s original goal of making X an “all in one everything app” that incorporates messaging, payments, and content from creators into a single platform.

Testers of the new version are posting screenshots of the new look, which includes a new “starry night” theme for the login screen. It appears that the new look is a style called "xChat", which suggests that this is a rebranded version.

The current beta does not yet support message requests, though Boswell said that feature is being rebuilt. According to xAI’s chatbot Grok, chats will sync with the main X app and the chat.x.com web platform launched in December 2025. The app carries a 17+ age rating on iOS, and an Android version is expected soon.