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.