XChat's Stormy Launch: Tops App Store Charts and Advances Musk's 'Everything App' Dream

Elon Musk's X platform officially released its standalone encrypted messaging app, XChat, on the Apple App Store on Friday, April 24. Shortly after launch, XChat surged to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. free apps chart, dethroning AI giants like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. A screenshot shared by X product head Nikita Bier highlights how quickly the app gained traction among iPhone and iPad users.

This debut follows two delays for XChat, which is currently iOS-only with no Android release date announced. XChat offers a dedicated, ad-free space separate from X's main feed, featuring no tracking and full end-to-end encryption via "Bitcoin-style" cryptography built on Rust. Key features include one-on-one and group chats for up to 481 people, voice/video calls, file sharing, vanishing messages, and screenshot protection. Users sign in with an X account—no phone verification needed.

Challenging messaging titans like WhatsApp (over 3 billion users), Signal, and Telegram, XChat's early App Store success turns heads. Its staying power is yet to be proven. Meanwhile, X is axing its Communities feature on May 6, redirecting efforts to XChat and groups. Per Bier, Communities drew just 0.4% of users but 80% of spam complaints. Lead designer Benji Taylor teased that "XChat is just the start of our messaging evolution."

This move is a pivotal step in Musk's vision for an "everything app" like China's WeChat, bolstering private chats and expanding X's ecosystem beyond social media.