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X\u2019s new DM feature, XChat, has begun rolling out to beta testers. Some X users who pay for the platform\u2019s subscription product have reported that they can access XChat, while reverse engineer Nima Owji<\/a> confirmed to TechCrunch that the new messaging system appears to be ready to ship.<\/p>\n XChat is intended to be a more robust version of X\u2019s existing DM (direct messages) feature, which is a holdover from before Elon Musk\u2019s acquisition of Twitter.<\/p>\n Some features that have been rumored to be part of XChat include group messages, end-to-end encryption, vanishing mode, the ability to mark messages as unread, and file sharing. Messages also appear to be secured behind a four-digit passcode.<\/p>\n X announced<\/a> on Thursday that it was pausing work on its encrypted DM feature, which could be related to the impending release of XChat, since this new system would render the existing DM interface obsolete. Paid subscribers on X have had access to a limited version<\/a> of encrypted messaging for two years.<\/p>\n In the years since he bought Twitter, Musk has spoken on numerous<\/a> occasions<\/a> about his ambitions to make a Signal-like messaging service embedded into X. If XChat really is gearing up for public use, then this news could represent Musk\u2019s follow-through on that goal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n