XChat vanishes from App Store ahead of planned release

The messaging app XChat, which Elon Musk has been working on, unexpectedly disappeared from the App Store just before its anticipated release. The app previously had a full store page — complete with a description, developer details, and the option for pre-installation.

XChat's launch was first announced back in June. The service is meant to become part of the X platform's ecosystem and to offer expanded features. Among the touted capabilities are end-to-end encryption, auto-deleting messages, unlimited file transfers, as well as audio and video calls.

Initially, the release was set for April 17, but was later postponed to April 23. At that point, however, the app had completely vanished from the store and became unavailable to users.

The reasons for XChat's removal from the App Store have not been disclosed. There have been no official statements from the developers or platform representatives so far.