For nearly 20 years, Twitter users have been able to send private messages on the platform either directly or via DM.
That feature produced the phrase “slide to DMS,” which is a major part of pop culture lexicons.
But all good things must come to an end.
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According to Mashable, direct messages will be changed to XChat. This is one of many changes to the site since Elon Musk acquired it in 2022. In 2023, he officially renamed Twitter to X, and eventually removed the recognizable Blue Bird logo to black and white X.
On Tuesday, X software engineer Zach Warunek said changes were coming.
“No, it’s not like a request message, but the entire DM will soon disappear,” he writes.
Another X employee named Ellis Driscoll revealed that the DMS has not been deleted but will be “rewritten.”
On Wednesday morning, independent app researcher and web developer Nima Owji revealed that many X employees and engineers have already started using Xchat, and will replace DMS.
One user posted a photo on the new platform. This appears to be similar to Meta’s WhatsApp.
“This is xchat!” the person wrote. “(4) Encryption using pins for digits, ability to send files. New generation X DM, everything is engraved.”
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When words moved around about pending changes, people took them to the site to express their views.
“xchat? That doesn’t sound right. Ah,” one person wrote.
“Xchat sounds like a dark aim chat room,” another wrote.
One user warned their followers that it was “not Xchat.”
“Xchat sounds like an app that makes me embarrassed to have my phone,” another weighed.
So far, X has not addressed the change or has not been revealed when it is affected.
