American entrepreneur Elon Musk announced the launch date of the XChat messenger: the app for iOS devices will become available on April 17, 2026.

The new messenger will offer users a range of privacy protection features, including end-to-end encryption of messages, a ban on screenshots, and disappearing messages. XChat also supports cross-platform calls without being tied to a phone number, as well as file transfers.

According to analysts at Startup Fortune, spinning off XChat as a standalone app is part of a strategy to compete with major messaging apps like iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp. The developers claim the app is ad-free.

The Android version's release date has not yet been announced.

*WhatsApp is owned by Meta, a designated extremist organization banned in Russia.