FAQ
What is XChat?
XChat is a private messaging app built by X Corp. Every message is end-to-end encrypted by default. There are no ads, no tracking, and no analytics inside the app — the only thing in your chat is your chat.
It runs as a standalone iOS app, separate from the main X feed, and uses your existing X account to find people you’re already connected to. You can message anyone on X; if they don’t have XChat installed, they’ll get a one-tap link to install it.
XChat launches on April 23, 2026, on iPhone (requires iOS 26), with Android arriving in a later release. The App Store listing is open for pre-order now.
Is XChat free?
Yes. XChat is free to download from the App Store and free to use. There are no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, and no premium tier. The app does not contain ads.
X Corp has not announced any future paid features. As of launch, the entire app — encryption, message history, group chats, the works — is fully free.
Is XChat secure?
Every message in XChat is end-to-end encrypted by default. Your encryption keys never leave your device, which means nobody — not X Corp, not us, not your internet provider, not a hypothetical attacker — can read your messages without physical access to your phone.
There is no content scanning, no message moderation pipeline, and no plaintext backup. The encryption is on by default and cannot be turned off, so you don’t need to remember to enable it.
XChat uses the same kind of cryptography as Signal and WhatsApp. The technical details have not yet been independently audited at the time of writing — that’s worth keeping in mind if you’re protecting against state-level adversaries — but the basic design is sound and modern.
How do I download XChat?
The official XChat app download is on the iOS App Store as a pre-order. It launches April 23, 2026. Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for “XChat” (published by X Corp), and tap Pre-order — the app will install automatically on release day. You’ll need iOS 26 or later (iPadOS 26 on iPad). The download is about 175.8 MB.
You can also open the official listing directly from your iPhone: Pre-order XChat on the App Store. This is the only authorized download URL — any other site claiming to host the XChat app is not official.
The app is free — no subscription, no in-app purchases. Once it installs on launch day, sign in with your existing X account to start chatting.
When will XChat be available on Android?
X Corp has confirmed that an Android version of XChat is in development, but no firm release date has been announced. The iOS app launches on April 23, 2026; Android is expected later in 2026.
There is no APK available, and there is no beta program for Android at this time. Be careful of third-party “XChat APK” downloads — these are not official and may contain malware. The only safe way to install XChat on iOS is through the App Store, and the only safe way to install it on Android, when it’s available, will be through Google Play.
How is XChat different from DMs on X?
X Direct Messages (DMs) live inside the main X app. They share the same surface as your feed, your notifications, and the rest of the social product, and most of them are not end-to-end encrypted by default.
XChat is a separate app focused only on conversation. Every message is encrypted by default, there is no ad surface, and the app does not track activity inside conversations. You use the same X identity to sign in, but the messaging happens in a different place — closer to a dedicated messenger like Signal or WhatsApp than to a social-network DM inbox.
If you only message a few people occasionally, X DMs may be enough. If conversation is the main thing you want to do, XChat is built for that.
What languages does XChat support?
XChat ships with support for more than 40 languages on launch day, including English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (both Latin American and European variants), Brazilian and European Portuguese, French, German, Arabic, Hindi, and many more.
The app uses your iOS system language by default. You can change it in iOS Settings → XChat → Language if you prefer a different one.
A full list of supported languages is available in the App Store listing.
Who can I chat with on XChat?
Anyone with an X account. XChat uses your existing X social graph to find people you’re already connected to, so you don’t need to rebuild a contact list from scratch.
If the person you’re messaging hasn’t installed XChat yet, they’ll receive your message in their X DMs along with a link to install the app. Once they install XChat, the conversation continues there with full end-to-end encryption.
You can also start group chats with anyone on X.
Does XChat track me?
No analytics inside conversations. XChat does not log message content, does not run analytics on what you say or who you say it to, and does not show ads.
The app does collect basic operational data — the same kind any messaging app collects to keep itself running, like delivery confirmations and crash reports. None of this data includes message content. X Corp’s privacy policy covers the specifics.
If you’ve used WhatsApp, the data model is similar: encrypted messages plus minimal metadata for delivery.
What is XChat's age rating?
XChat is rated 16+ on the App Store. The rating reflects the fact that the app supports unrestricted text and media messaging, which means users can send any content to one another. There is no built-in content filter for adult material.
If you’re a parent setting up a younger user’s iPhone, the app is blocked by default by iOS Screen Time controls. You can override that on a per-user basis in iOS Settings.
Is there an XChat APK for Android? Where can I download it?
There is no official XChat APK. XChat launches on iOS only on April 23, 2026. X Corp has confirmed an Android version is in development but has not released an APK, a beta, or a Google Play listing as of today.
Any site offering an “XChat APK download” is not official. Treat third-party APKs as hostile: they are a common delivery vector for credential stealers, spyware, and fake messenger clones that look identical to the real app but route every message through an attacker’s server. The encryption guarantees of the real XChat depend on running the real client — a tampered APK has none of them.
If you use Android and want XChat, the only safe path is to wait. When X Corp ships the Android build it will land on the Google Play Store with the publisher shown as X Corp. Install from that listing only — not from a direct link, not from an email, not from a file a friend shared.
In the meantime, pre-order XChat on iOS if you own an iPhone running iOS 26 or later, and check this site for the Android release date as soon as X Corp announces it.
When does XChat come out? Is XChat released yet?
XChat releases on April 23, 2026 on the iOS App Store. As of today, the app is on pre-order only — you can reserve it on the App Store but cannot open or use it yet. The original date was April 17; X Corp moved the release by six days on April 17 itself without publishing a reason.
If you already pre-ordered, you don’t need to do anything. On April 23 the app will download automatically to your iPhone provided you’re online and automatic App Store downloads are enabled.
If you haven’t pre-ordered, open the App Store on an iPhone running iOS 26 or later, search for “XChat” by X Corp, and tap Pre-order. It’s free, ships with end-to-end encryption on by default, and weighs about 175.8 MB.
Android: not on April 23. X Corp says later in 2026 — no firm date. There is no APK, no beta, and any site claiming to offer one is hosting something else. See our APK warning for details.
We update this page the moment anything changes. If the launch date moves again, the answer above moves with it.
Does XChat require iOS 26? Which iPhones and iPads are supported?
Yes — XChat requires iOS 26 or later on iPhone and iPadOS 26 or later on iPad. The App Store listing enforces this; older iOS versions will not see a download button at all, only a “requires iOS 26.0” notice.
What that means in practice. Any iPhone that Apple supports with the iOS 26 update can run XChat. That covers iPhone 11 and newer as of the iOS 26 release (Sept 2025). iPhone X, iPhone 8, and earlier models are cut off: they cannot install iOS 26, and therefore cannot install XChat. There is no backported build.
If you have an older iPhone. Your options are: (1) upgrade to a newer iPhone that supports iOS 26, (2) wait for the Android release later in 2026 if you own a second Android device, or (3) use X’s built-in direct messages on the main X app, which are not end-to-end encrypted by default but do work on older iOS versions.
Storage and network. The app is about 175.8 MB to download. You’ll also need a working network connection on April 23 to sign in and sync your X social graph. There is no offline install option — the app requires an active X account.
If you’re unsure which iOS version you’re running, open Settings → General → About → Software Version on your iPhone.