X, formerly Twitter, is reportedly planning to replace DMs with a new messaging platform called XChat.
The news broke when Zack Warunek, a software engineer at X, hinted that the DM section could be deleted in a response to a user who had difficulties seeing user data on the messages they sent and received for the last few days, and assumed it was a bug. When they asked Warunek if he could fix the issue, he wrote, “This page will be deleted soon so no.” When asked if there wouldn’t be any more message requests, Warunek responded, “No, not like request messages but like the whole entire DM’s will be gone soon.”
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From that conversation, many understood that X will be launching XChat soon, a new messaging platform that could exist independently from X itself, much like Messenger and Facebook work.
According to an analyst at MacRumors, XChat will allow users to send PDFs and other files; delete messages for everyone in the chat, not just themselves; and enable Vanishing mode. Additionally, messages sent through XChat will be fully encrypted and users will be able to set a PIN code to protect their chats.
The rumors were confirmed by Nima Owji, an independent web developer, who shared a preview screenshot of XChat last week.
Elon Musk teased XChat last year when he tweeted that he would be deleting his phone number and only using X to text and call other people.