X has introduced a new way for users to be contacted on its messaging service without sharing a phone number or following each other. The company launched X Numbers on Tuesday, giving XChat users a private code they can share with people who need to message or call them without a mutual follow.
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According to X’s Help Center, anyone who enters a user’s enabled X Number can message them even if the user doesn’t follow them or has a closed inbox. Those conversations go straight to the inbox instead of message requests, and the sender can also place calls, depending on the recipient’s call settings.
Despite its name, X says an X Number isn’t a phone number. It’s also separate from the safety numbers Chat uses to verify identities in encrypted conversations.
The feature is optional, and X says users can turn it off or refresh it at any time. Refreshing generates a new code, cutting off new contacts who only have the old one. X notes that people a user has already messaged can see their X Number and may share it with others, though a “Hide from others” setting can prevent that. The company also says users will be notified when someone contacts them through the code.
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To set one up, X says users can open Chat, enter their Chat PIN if prompted, open the inbox dropdown menu, and tap “Number.”
The launch is the latest step in Elon Musk’s long-stated goal of turning X into an “everything app,” a vision often compared to China’s WeChat, which combines messaging, payments, and other services.
X launched its standalone XChat app on the App Store on April 24, positioning it as a WhatsApp competitor. The app has been pitched on the idea that users already have an X account and a network of contacts, so they don’t need to exchange phone numbers. X Numbers extends that approach to people outside a user’s existing network.
The company has also moved into payments. X Money went live on July 27, but only for premium subscribers. On Aug. 31, X announced that X Money was available to all Premium and Premium+ subscribers with U.S. accounts. The service isn’t yet available to free users.
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