X launches Chat, its new encrypted DMs

X has revealed Chat, an encrypted upgrade to the platform’s nonstop messaging service. It besides includes enactment for video and dependable calls, disappearing messages, and record sharing.

The institution announced Chat connected Friday, and it’s disposable present connected iOS and the web, with an Android mentation coming “soon.” It replaces X’s existing messaging system, though your aged messages should beryllium carried across.

X says that Chat supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for some messages and files, though a support page notes that this doesn’t screen connection metadata — specified arsenic who received it, oregon erstwhile it was sent. There’s besides nary extortion against man-in-the-middle attacks, the institution admitting that if “a malicious insider oregon X itself” compromised an encrypted conversation, determination would beryllium nary mode for users to know, though ways to verify connection authenticity and instrumentality individuality are coming.

Other privateness features see disappearing messages, which tin beryllium acceptable to automatically delete aft a acceptable play of time, and the options to either person a notification erstwhile a chat is screenshotted oregon artifact screenshots entirely. Messages tin beryllium some edited and deleted, and dependable and video calls are supported, with dependable notes connected the mode successful the future.

X — past Twitter — first introduced encrypted DMs successful 2023, earlier pausing the feature this May portion it worked connected “improvements.” Those look to person arrived arsenic Chat.