Social network X is launching a standalone app for its private messaging service, X Chat, on iOS, with the initial beta available to 1,000 users through Apple's TestFlight testing platform. The company plans to expand the beta beyond this initial 1,200 users soon. The app is an upgraded version of X's existing DM (direct messages) feature, which X claims is end-to-end encrypted. However, security experts have warned that the X Chat service is less secure than other encrypted messaging apps like Signal and should not be trusted. The move represents a shift from X owner Elon Musk's earlier plan to make X an "everything app," which would provide access to messaging, payments, creator content and more centralize all aspects of the service.