Twitter owner Elon Musk said one of the reasons he bought Twitter was to speed up the creation of an everything app, or super app, called X.What exactly would the X app look like?
What Is X, Elon Musk's Everything App?
An everything app is a super app, or an app of apps. It aggregates services that you would otherwise need several apps to carry out. Basically, you get access to everything you need with just one password and one user interface.
Musk has not elaborated on what his everything app X would look like, but financial services would likely be at the core of it. After all, the domain X.com was once a fintech company which eventually became PayPal. Musk has also spoken fondly about China's super app WeChat and wants Twitter to be like WeChat. He has said:
You basically live on WeChat in China because it’s so usable and helpful to daily life, and I think if we can achieve that, or even get close to that at Twitter, it would be an immense success.
WeChat, which the Trump administration unsuccessfuly tried to ban alongside TikTok, offers messaging, video calls, online payments, food delivery, government services, and other features. Business Insider reports that WeChat is so useful in China that it has come pretty close to its goal of being involved in "every moment of the user's daily life, from morning till night, anytime, anywhere."
How Would Musk Use Twitter to Accelerate the X Everything App?
Musk has previously flirted with creating a Tesla phone. Also, Tesla customers can pay with the Dogecoin cryptocurrency for merchandise. Perhaps the future of the X app is that you cannot access Twitter unless you download the X app.
Or maybe your Twitter interface gets new X buttons, which serve as a gateway for Twitter users into the world of X. Maybe that world is even a metaverse.
Maybe Twitter, or X, also gets embedded in a future Tesla phone, allowing you to control your Tesla vehicle and pay for Tesla services such as supercharging and software upgrades in Dogecoin. Perhaps X also allows you to pay for Starlink internet and access any other goods and services that Musk's business empire offers.
Musk could also buy out other apps and add them to the world of X. Or he could go into partnerships with folks such as Uber, Lyft, Venmo, and Grubhub or a crypto exchange. Assuming Twitter's over 200 million daily active users are already in the world of X, there would be a ready market for these other apps in there, which would perhaps make a partnership attractive to them.
Obstacles Musk's X App Faces
Musk faces at least two challenges in his ambition to create the X super app for the US and the world.
1. Stiff Competition
Other big tech players such as Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Venmo, Snapchat, Uber, and Google are also interested in becoming super apps, and have actually tried with limited success. Americans are used to having many apps, so it is hard to imagine the X app muscling into other app domains successfully.
As TechCrunch notes:
It’s unlikely that tech businesses like Amazon, Uber, Facebook and Square would want to join a hypothetical X super app, considering that they already have a stronghold in their sectors and control over user data.
2. Government Regulations
The US government, the European Union, and China have been investigating and cracking down hard on big tech. There are rumors out there of a move to break up dominant firms such as Facebook. Musk is likely to face political and legal resistance should he attempt to use his financial muscle to build X into a dominant global big tech platform.
Let Twitter Be Twitter
Twitter is a place for conversations; humanity's global public square. Though Twitter has far fewer users than its far bigger rivals, it punches far above its weight in influencing the world.
The answer to its many problems is not to make it an online marketplace. Rather it is to make it do less, but do it better and safer. Let Twitter be Twitter.
However, there's nothing to stop Musk from building X as a separate app.
FAQs
Elon Musk's Platform X Makes “Likes” Private For Everyone Formerly called Twitter, X has made "likes" on the platform private in an effort to protect the privacy of users on the social media microblogging site.
Are people still using X? ›
X User Statistics
As of 2023, there are approximately 556 million active monthly users on X. As of April 2024, X receives around 6.1 billion visits per month.
What is the new X platform? ›
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said Tuesday it is launching a X TV App. In a post on X, CEO Linda Yaccarino said that the X TV App will bring real-time, engaging content to the consumer's smart TV and offer a high-quality, immersive entertainment experience on a larger screen.
What do people use the X app for? ›
Users utilize the platform to share posts containing text messages, images, and videos and interact with other users' content through likes and reposts. X offers additional features such as direct messaging, video and audio calling, bookmarks, lists, communities, chatbot and the social audio feature Spaces.
Is X the same as Twitter? ›
People often ask, “How is Twitter different from platforms like Facebook.” But when it comes to their features, Twitter, now known as X, and Facebook are quite distinct.
Why is X losing users? ›
“This decline in X mobile app active users may have been driven by user frustration over flagrant content, general platform technical issues, and the growing threat of short-form video platforms,” he wrote.
How many Americans use X? ›
Table of Contents. For Americans who use X – about a quarter of adults, as of last year – it's a place people turn to stay entertained, connect with others and keep up with what's going on. At the same time, it's a platform where change has been a constant, including Elon Musk's rebranding of it from Twitter to X.
Do I need to pay for X? ›
X Basic is the entry-level paid tier. Priced at $3 a month or $32 a year, X Basic offers the following benefits over the free version: Edit a Post: You have 30 minutes in which you can edit a post after sending it.
Is X free to use? ›
Elon Musk's company, X (formerly Twitter), is going to charge an annual subscription fee for all users. If you are planning to use X (formerly Twitter), get ready to pay an annual subscription fee as the micro-blogging platform won't remain free anymore.
How to use the X app? ›
Once the app is installed, you can log in with an existing account or sign up for a new account directly from the app. Learn about managing multiple X accounts through your app. You will be guided through our sign up experience and prompted to enter information such as your name and email address.
The feature comes in line with Musk's vision of making the microblogging platform a “Super App" or an “Everything App" like WeChat, where one can do various activities like checking bank balances, job searches, applying for jobs, watching live streams, e-commerce, and even finding dates.
What is the secret app for adults? ›
Secret is the ultimate hookup app for those seeking sugar meet, anonymous chat, and casual encounters. With its unique features, Secret has become the go-to app for anyone looking for a fun and discreet hook up experience.
What is the X platform used for? ›
The X Platform processes data on-site, reducing latency and ensuring quicker response times. Highlight: By combining edge computing with cloud analytics, our platform offers the best of both worlds – immediate data processing and comprehensive insights.
How is X different from Facebook? ›
It is used to share photos and videos. X, on the other, is primarily a text-based platform. Facebook is an amalgamation of the two but also contains many other features, such as messaging, marketplaces, and groups.
What social media is X? ›
Twitter is an American social networking service that was rebranded as X in 2023.
Who owns X? ›
X Corp. is an American technology company established by Elon Musk in 2023 as the successor to Twitter, Inc. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of X Holdings Corp., which is itself mostly owned by Musk.
Does anyone use X anymore? ›
Key Facts. The data, which is part of a larger study conducted by Edison, said 27% of the total population in the U.S. reported using X in 2022 and 2023, a figure that has decreased to 19% in 2024.
Is X still a good platform? ›
The platform's daily active users in the U.S. dropped by 18% in the past year—a steeper decline than seen by any of its competitors. Even if user engagement and new users are growing, the overall user base is still on the decline. This means existing users aren't sticking around—especially in the U.S.
Is X losing subscribers? ›
What does that mean for X's overall popularity? Well, based on third party data, most reports indicate that X has seen a decline in usage in the low teen percentages since 2022.
Does X Com still exist? ›
In 2000, it merged with competitor Confinity and in 2001, the merged company changed its name to PayPal. Starting in 2023, the x.com internet domain name began to be used for Twitter which was acquired by Musk in 2022 and subsequently rebranded to X.
