Elon Musk’s XChat App Is More Like Facebook’s Messenger Than Signal

Elon Musk spent his Friday reposting disapproval of competitors aft the motorboat of the XChat app, a standalone messaging enactment for X users. “Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage each person superior information problems,” work a connection Musk reposted, successful part. “XChat is the lone secure, encrypted messaging app.” Encryption experts I spoke with successful the lead-up to this motorboat expressed cautious skepticism astir XChat’s execution and defended different connection platforms, similar Signal, arsenic coagulated choices.

One of XChat’s reddish flags is that users indispensable link an existing X relationship to log successful and commencement messaging. “I'm a small suspicious of that, due to the fact that the much information points you link unneurotic astir a person, the much you tin way what they're doing,” says Maria Villegas Bravo, counsel astatine the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Bravo considers Musk’s past attacks connected different apps to beryllium worrisome and self-serving.

Last year, erstwhile Musk unveiled XChat arsenic a revamped, encrypted mentation of nonstop messages connected X, security experts questioned the effectiveness of storing users' cryptographic keys connected X’s servers alternatively than on-device, arsenic Signal does. “Given XChat's past of information vulnerabilities, I would hesitate to usage this until it's received a thorough extracurricular auditing,” says Cooper Quintin, a elder unit technologist astatine the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

While Musk wants the treatment to beryllium implicit which encrypted messaging app is the best—XChat vs. Signal vs. WhatsApp—that’s the incorrect comparison. After downloading XChat and going hands-on, there’s another, overmuch little sexy, chat app it reminds maine of: Facebook's Messenger. That app you whitethorn person connected your telephone retired of an work to connection your grandma occasionally? Exactly. Rather than launching a sleek, caller encrypted messaging app, Musk dropped an insular, junky hold of his societal media level that happens to see encrypted messaging.

Late Launch

When the XChat squad posted earlier this period astir the app’s wide release, the “expected” motorboat day listed connected Apple’s App Store leafage was April 17. This day shifted aggregate times earlier release, changing from the archetypal day to April 23, past April 24. The app besides showed April 25 and April 27 arsenic imaginable motorboat dates, earlier it dropped unexpectedly connected Friday the 24th. (An authoritative motorboat day for Android has yet to beryllium announced.)

During this prelaunch period, the close app didn’t ever look erstwhile searching for its name. An app that besides bore the sanction “XChat App,” though with a Russian-language plan and nary transportation to Musk, roseate to astatine slightest the seventh spot connected Apple’s escaped download charts successful the societal media category. “Scam app,” work 1 idiosyncratic review, “This is not the existent XChat.”

When the XChat app yet arrived, the motorboat seemed haphazard. At first, folks successful the US could entree the app, portion those successful the UK could not. “UK should beryllium unrecorded soon; had 1 snag,” wrote Nikita Bier, the caput of merchandise astatine X, successful effect to frustrated posters connected societal media. When aboriginal downloaders besides complained astir disorder during the onboarding process, Bier told them to “blame Apple” and its app requirements.

First Impressions

When I archetypal downloaded the XChat app, I wasn’t definite who to connection first. Looking done my iMessage history, nary of the apical 5 friends and household members that I substance the astir often adjacent person X accounts. So, close astatine the top, XChat felt excessively niche for my existent messaging needs, putting speech immoderate encryption concerns.

Lost and trying to find someone, anyone to connection connected XChat, I spent my day scrolling done aged DMs and decided to reignite 3 erstwhile chats. After I sent my nudges, a pop-up appeared successful the chat logs, “This speech is present end-to-end encrypted.” Though I didn’t truly request it due to the fact that nary 1 texted maine backmost portion I was investigating the XChat app—I lone received pitiful bosom and occurrence emoji reactions to my messages.