According to The Verge, X launched its new encrypted messaging system called Chat on Friday, replacing the platform’s existing direct messaging service. The feature includes end-to-end encryption for messages and files, plus support for video and voice calls, disappearing messages, and file sharing. Chat is available immediately on iOS and the web, with an Android version coming “soon,” and users’ old messages should carry over to the new system. However, the encryption doesn’t cover message metadata like who received messages or when they were sent, and there’s no protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. X admits that if “a malicious insider or X itself” compromised an encrypted conversation, users would have no way of knowing, though verification features are coming in the future.
The fine print on that “encryption”
Here’s the thing about X’s encryption claims: they come with some pretty significant asterisks. The company straight-up admits in its support documentation that there’s no protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. Basically, if someone at X or a malicious actor intercepts your conversation, you’d never know. That’s… not exactly reassuring for something being marketed as secure communication.
And then there’s the metadata issue. While your actual message content might be encrypted, everything around it—who you’re talking to, when you’re talking, how often—is still visible. In many surveillance scenarios, that metadata is actually more valuable than the content itself. So is this really private messaging, or just private-ish?
What you actually get
The feature set itself is pretty solid on paper. Disappearing messages that auto-delete? Check. Screenshot blocking and notifications? Present. Voice and video calls? Included. The platform even promises future additions like voice notes. It’s essentially X playing catch-up with messaging apps that have had these features for years.
But the timing is interesting. Remember when Twitter first introduced encrypted DMs back in 2023, then paused them this past May for “improvements”? Well, Chat appears to be the result of that work. The company’s announcement post positions this as a major upgrade, though it’s really more of a relaunch with some additional bells and whistles.
The elephant in the room
Let’s be real: the biggest question here isn’t about the technology—it’s about trust. When a company admits that its own employees could potentially compromise your “encrypted” conversations without you knowing, that raises some serious red flags. How many people are going to use this for truly sensitive communications when the platform itself warns you about potential insider threats?
And given X’s trajectory under Elon Musk’s ownership, with its shifting policies and sometimes chaotic development process, does this feel like a feature that will get consistent security updates and attention? Or is it another flashy addition that might get neglected in six months? These are the questions potential users should be asking before they trust their private conversations to the platform.
Where this leaves messaging
For most casual users, Chat will probably be fine—it’s certainly an improvement over the completely unencrypted DMs we’ve had until now. But for anyone needing truly secure communications, Signal and WhatsApp (despite its own privacy controversies) still seem like safer bets.
The move does position X more directly against other social platforms that have been expanding their messaging capabilities. But given the security caveats, it feels more like checking a feature box than building a truly competitive secure messaging product. We’ll have to see if future updates address these concerns or if this is as good as it gets.
