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X Starts Rolling Out 'Chat,' an Encrypted Replacement for DMs on iOS and Web

The company says messages and files are end-to-end encrypted but acknowledges unencrypted metadata and a lack of man‑in‑the‑middle protections as it works on verification tools.

Overview

  • Chat brings voice and video calls, file sharing, disappearing messages, message editing and deletion, and screenshot blocking or alerts.
  • The rollout is live on iOS and the web with Android listed as coming soon, and legacy DMs are carried into a unified inbox.
  • X’s help pages note that recipient and timing metadata are not encrypted and that users currently have no way to detect a compromised conversation.
  • Users are prompted to set a four‑digit PIN that protects private keys for device restoration, a design that researchers say raises brute‑force and transparency concerns.
  • Encrypted group chats and media are supported, with a voice memo feature in development and additional verification safeguards promised.