X Introduces Standalone Desktop Chat App

X has launched a new standalone chat experience on desktop, marking another step in the company’s effort to expand beyond its core social feed and move toward a broader communications platform. The new interface allows users to access and manage their X direct messages separately from the main X website.

The desktop version of the new chat experience, referred to as X Chat, was first surfaced publicly by app researcher Nima Owji. It provides a dedicated web-based environment for messaging, similar in structure to standalone chat clients offered by other major platforms. While still limited in availability, the interface signals a shift in how X is positioning its messaging tools.

Reports indicate that X is also developing a standalone mobile version of X Chat. If released, it would place the company in more direct competition with established messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram. Messaging has become an increasingly important battleground for major platforms, particularly as private communication grows faster than public social posting in many markets.

The move aligns with Elon Musk’s long-stated ambition to turn X into an “everything app,” a concept inspired by China’s WeChat. WeChat combines messaging, payments, and a wide range of everyday digital services into a single platform and has become deeply embedded in daily life for users in China. Musk has repeatedly pointed to this model as a long-term goal for X.