X’s encrypted DM feature, Xchat is deployed more widely

Xchat, X’s long-awaited encrypted DM feature, is becoming more widely available.

The feature was shipped in beta in May, but XChat is now accessible to more users, including those who don’t subscribe to X Premium.

Apart from your existing DM inbox, XChat is end-to-end encrypted. The chat system supports media upload, group chat, pinning messages, and the ability to mark messages as read or unread. The disappearance mode is rumored to be in the works as well.

Currently, users can only access it if they choose to use Xchat. On the desktop, XChat is accessible to some users through the (Messages) tab. Here you can navigate to “Chat” from the menu options displayed above “Message Request.” On mobile, “Chat” appears in the main navigation bar on the left just above the community.

Before using xchat, you need to set up a 4-digit code to protect your messages, just like any other encrypted platform, such as signals. You can only start messages from other users who have opted in after you have set the code.

As it stands, Xchat is not a complete replacement for a long-standing DM system. Instead, these messages will appear in the chat menu under the “Unencrypted” tab.