Elon Musk’s X begins testing standalone X Chat app on iOS: What we know

Elon Musk’s social platform X has begun testing a standalone messaging app called X Chat on iOS. The app is currently available in beta through Apple’s TestFlight program and is being rolled out to a limited group of early testers. Also Read: Xiaomi QLED TV X Pro 75 sale begins in India: Check specs, price, bank discounts

According to reports and posts shared by xAI product designer Michael Boswell, the first round of testing was limited to about 1,000 users. The slots reportedly filled up within a couple of hours after the beta went live. Boswell later said the company plans to expand the program to around 5,000 testers so that more users can try the app and provide feedback. Also Read: “Work came with a price”: OpenAI senior engineer leaves over mental health

The reception of this app has been incredible. We appreciate the feedback and will continue to address bugs and share updates. Also Read: Elon Musk’s X tests ‘Made with AI’ label as India cracks down on deepfakes

That said, the foundation is very stable and we're expanding to 5,000 new users today.

Please use this new link: https://t.co/jSnpemKNge https://t.co/Vf2Q4Elamm

— Michael Boswell (@mjboswell) March 3, 2026

A separate app for messaging

The new X Chat app is essentially a standalone version of the messaging system already available inside the X platform. By turning it into a separate app, the company appears to be experimenting with a different way of handling messaging.

This move stands out because Elon Musk has previously talked about turning X into an “everything app,” where messaging, payments, creator tools, and social features would all exist in a single platform. Launching a separate messaging app suggests the company may now be trying a more modular approach instead.

Early interface and features

Screenshots shared by early testers show a fairly simple interface. Some users noted that the app name appears stylised as “xChat” rather than “X Chat.” The login screen reportedly includes a starry background, and testers have described the experience as smoother compared to using messages within the main X app.

The current beta version does not yet include all messaging features. For instance, message requests are still being rebuilt. Other features such as verified badges and voice or video calling are also said to be under development.

Security and encryption questions

X Chat is described as using end-to-end encryption. However, security researchers have previously raised concerns about how the platform implements encrypted messaging. Compared with apps such as Signal, some experts believe X’s system lacks transparency. It remains unclear whether the standalone X Chat app addresses those concerns.

Sync across X platforms

Chats in X Chat are expected to sync with conversations on the main X platform as well as the web-based messaging client chat.x.com, which launched in late 2025. The iOS version of the app carries the same 17+ age rating as the main X app.

Add Techlusive as a Preferred Source

For now, the app remains in limited testing. An Android version is also expected, though there is no confirmed release timeline yet.