X Unleashes New DM Powers: Encryption Meets Seamless File Sharing Innovation

At a glance

• X, formerly Twitter, is testing a rebuilt Direct Message (DM) system.
• Planned features include end-to-end encryption and file sharing.
• Other messaging apps have been moving the same way, toward more private messaging.
• Elon Musk has pushed for X to become an all-in-one app, with messaging at its center.

X tests a new DM system

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is testing an overhaul of its Direct Messages. Reports in April 2025 said the new system would add full end-to-end encryption and file sharing. It’s an attempt to make X’s messaging competitive with dedicated chat apps like Signal and WhatsApp.

What end-to-end encryption would change

With end-to-end encryption (E2EE), only the people in a conversation can read the messages. Not even the platform carrying them. X has offered encrypted DMs before, but only in a limited form for some users, so a full rollout would be a real change.

Privacy advocates have long pushed platforms to make encryption the default for private messages, and X’s plan moves in that direction.

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Files alongside messages

X is also adding file sharing to DMs. The aim is to let users send documents and other files inside an encrypted conversation without switching apps.

Sending files in DMs

File sharing is now standard in messaging. Letting users send different file types in DMs could keep more conversations on X.

Analysts see the pairing of file sharing and encryption as part of X’s push to compete with dedicated messaging apps.

Musk’s plans for X

Elon Musk has made no secret that he wants X to be an “everything app,” with payments, video and messaging under one roof, and messaging is central to that plan. Secure, easy DMs would help keep users on the platform longer.

Encryption across messaging apps

Other messaging services have been moving the same way, adding features while making encryption standard.

If X follows through, it will join apps that already encrypt messages by default. The details of how X implements encryption will matter to security researchers, who will want to see how keys are handled.

What users should watch for

The new DM system was still in testing in April 2025. Until it reaches everyone, don’t assume your X messages are end-to-end encrypted.

When it does launch, check whether encryption is on by default, whether it covers group chats and files, and whether X publishes technical details that outside experts can review.

Frank Jones, CISSP

Frank Jones has loved computers from the age of 13. Frank got his hacking career started when he downloaded a war dialing program that he used to detect dial up modems in his hometown of Chicago. Frank Jones now works as a JAVA coder and cyber security researcher.