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XChat finally lands on Android, bringing encrypted messaging beyond X

X's standalone messaging app is now rolling out to Android with encrypted chats, calls, and file sharing.

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Nikita Bier / X

X is taking another step toward Elon Musk’s vision of an “everything app.” The company has officially announced that XChat is now available on Android, expanding its standalone messaging app beyond iPhone and giving millions more users access to its growing list of communication features.

Encrypted chats, calls, and file sharing come to Android

According to X, Android users can now download XChat, which brings direct messaging out of the main X app and into a dedicated experience. The app supports end-to-end encrypted messaging, disappearing messages, voice and video calls, group chats, media sharing, and file transfers, positioning it as a direct competitor to apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.

XChat for Android is live. Chat privately with anyone on X, straight from your home screen.

Download now: https://t.co/ss0olSVFkt pic.twitter.com/MmauOGnPRX

— XChat (@chat) June 29, 2026

The Android release follows XChat’s debut on iPhone earlier this year and marks another milestone in the platform’s gradual shift beyond social media. Rather than treating messaging as just another feature inside X, the company is increasingly positioning XChat as a standalone communication platform that can eventually support broader services within the X ecosystem.

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Beyond the basics, XChat also includes PIN-protected conversations, higher-quality media sharing, and support for sending files of up to 2GB.

Another piece of the ‘everything app’ puzzle

The funny thing is that launching on Android may be just as important as adding new features. Android accounts for the majority of the global smartphone market, and without it, XChat was always going to struggle as a mainstream messaging platform. That said, whether users are willing to switch from established apps like WhatsApp or Telegram is another question entirely.

Nonetheless, with XChat now available on both major mobile platforms, X has cleared one of its biggest hurdles. The messaging app is no longer just an experiment for iPhone users. Instead, it’s becoming a core building block in the company’s long-term ambition to turn X into much more than a social network.

Varun Mirchandani
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
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